Statement by the Local and Regional Governments Constituency in Response to the Secretary-General’s Report on the GCM

New York — On the occasion of UN Migration Week, the Mayors Mechanism Steering Committee partners congratulate UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the launch of his 2nd Report on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). We particularly commend the acknowledgement that local governments play an ‘instrumental role’ and ‘must be seen as allies in efforts to promote and implement the Compact.’

As highlighted by the Secretary-General in this critical document ahead of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), local and regional government ‘policies have a direct impact on the well-being of migrants’ and ‘often, only local action can fulfill policies and programmes that are developed at the national, regional, and international levels.’ Many of those actions, from local inclusive pandemic response initiatives to the C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration, to the Mayors Mechanism’s forthcoming

Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees, contribute in a direct and effective manner to meeting the objectives of the GCM. The Mayors Mechanism and the local and regional governments constituency gathered in the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, commit to make sure that these examples, and many other like the UCLG Lampedusa Charter, are included in upcoming GCM and GCR implementation reviews and contribute to support the international community in meeting global goals the 2030 Agenda.

Engaging local and regional governments in the IMRF process will only increase its effectiveness. Migration is mostly a local phenomenon and local governments often actively empower, support, and benefit from the contributions of migrants. Many local governments work to ensure their policies reach everyone, regardless of status, despite their often-limited political mandates and resources. We see that community-oriented approaches often lead to innovative solutions which can inspire action on a larger scale. This becomes particularly important when the international community faces challenges such as COVID-19 inclusive recovery and the climate crisis.

Through our Mayors Mechanism partnership, we are committed to advance local action that fulfills the promise of the GCM and to bring the voices and priorities of local governments to the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) this May.

In recognition of the Secretary-General’s Report and in line with the whole-of-government and whole-of-society principles, we:

1. Encourage Member States to:
   • Consult with local and regional governments as they prepare their national strategy and GCM implementation review ahead of the IMRF, as encouraged in the GCM (ART 44 and 53).
   • Invite local and regional governments to join their delegation to the IMRF, as encouraged by the President of the General Assembly and as suggested in the IMRF modalities resolution (ART 8).
   • Partner with local and regional governments and their networks in submitting concrete pledges to the IMRF.
2. Request the President of the General Assembly to provide adequate space for local and regional governments to participate in and contribute to the IMRF discussions through a transparent and inclusive process.
3. Encourage the co-facilitators of the IMRF Progress Declaration, the Governments of Bangladesh and Luxemburg, to meaningfully engage with local and regional governments in the consultation and negotiation process, modeling the consultation of local governments in the IMRF modalities resolution negotiation led by Bangladesh.  

As the international community works to reinvigorate inclusive multilateralism as called for by Our Common Agenda and the GCM by opening gateways for the meaningful participation of local governments, we count on Member States and the UN System to seize the opportunity offered by the first ever IMRF to build an inclusive and robust cooperation framework for all. We hope we have the opportunity to stand with you as allies at the IMRF.

About the Mayors Mechanism:

Established in December 2018, the Mayors Mechanism (MM) – co-steered by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Mayors Migration Council (MMC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – is designed to bring the expertise, priorities and concerns of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) into the thematic agenda, deliberations and outcomes of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and other global processes on migration. The MM aims to maximize opportunities for LRGs to create partnerships with and facilitate dialogue between the different constituencies of these State-led processes. For additional information, please visit our website: www.mayorsmechanism.org

About the Global Taskforce on Local and Regional Governments:

The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments is a coordination and consultation mechanism that brings together the major international networks of local governments to undertake joint advocacy work relating to global policy processes. It was set up in 2013 to bring the perspectives of local and regional governments to the SDGs, climate change agenda and New Urban Agenda in particular. Local and regional governments are the only UN non-state stakeholder to have a mechanism such as the Global Taskforce to develop and coordinate inputs into all policy processes. In this way, the Global Taskforce serves to amplify the voice of the local and regional government constituency on the global stage. For additional information, please visit:

For more information, please contact:

Pablo Mariani: pmariani@mayorsmechanism.org