International Migration Review Forum
Learn how the Mayors Migration Council is delivering critical momentum to make the UN Global Compact for Migration a reality.
Background
In 2018, UN member states adopted a Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration (GCM) to set international standards and a pathway forward to achieving common goals on migration and refugee protection. Reviewed every four years, they serve as the roadmap for the years to come.
The MMC was founded in 2018 to help mayors influence the negotiations of both Compacts and ensure that the final drafts of these foundational UN agreements reflected the priorities of cities and their vital role going forward.
It is through this successful city diplomacy that local authorities are now recognized as key stakeholders in the implementation, follow up, and review of the Compacts.
Upon the adoption of the Compacts, MMC mayors further demonstrated their commitment and endorsed the Marrakech Mayors Declaration —pledging to advance the principles and objectives of the Compacts, to continue to participate internationally, and to take direct action within their communities to improve the lives of migrants and refugees. Critically, mayors agreed it was essential to advance both Compacts in unison rather than addressing migrants and refugees as fundamentally separate populations.
Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal, CanadaOver the past three years, we went from being an outsider to having a seat at the table at global migration negotiations as the world is realizing that local solutions are national successes.
Our Progress
In 2022, the MMC secured formal access for cities to the UN International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), the first-ever global review of the GCM. In collaboration with Mayors Mechanism partners, the MMC secured speaking roles for city leaders in 85% of the official program with member states; facilitated city representation in five national delegations; co-hosted high-level convenings with the President of the UN General Assembly, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, and the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs; and influenced the text of the UN General Assembly resolution adopted by the conference.
The MMC also launched the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees and issued a Report on Localizing the Global Compacts, in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the UN Migration Agency (IOM), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The Call to Local Action creates an official track for cities to commit to the Global Compacts.
At the IMRF, mayors delivered a first round of 70 city pledges that make a tangible difference to the lives of migrants and refugees, while keeping the world on track to meet the Global Compacts.
More information is available in the IMRF Summary Report 2022.
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