Migrants matter for Development Panel Session

The European confederation of Relief and Development NGOs (CONCORD), ICMC Europe, the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI), the Red Cross-EU Office (RC-EU), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are joining forces to promote the development potential of migrants and migration during the European Development Days (EDDs), to be held in Brussels on 3-4 June 2015.

The five organisations are pooling together resources to reach out to the European development community during its yearly dedicated forum and raise awareness about the link between migration and human development through a range of innovate partnerships and approaches that are contributing to positive changes on the ground for all migrants and communities.

Building on its previous commitment to migration as a driver for development, (for further reference, see the 2011 Global Approach to Migration and Mobility and the 2013 Communication Maximising the Development Impact of Migration) the European Commission has included migration as one of the main issues under the European Development Days core theme Our Future: each of our policies can make a difference.

Much like the European Commission, these five organisations recognise that migration is forging the future of development. However, against a backdrop of opportunity, at present many policies and gaps in protection leave migrants, displaced populations and asylum seekers with few choices and limited possibilities to improve, flourish and develop alongside their communities of origin, heritage, transit and residence.

All of the organisations involved are implementing innovative transnational programmes that are redefining the way policies treat migrants and diaspora, making them central actors in development.

Many of these programmes are forging effective, multi-stakeholder cooperation between civil society and governments at all levels to produce well-designed, coherent and adequately funded policies and leading to improvements that contribute to long-lasting, positive change for communities and societies, although each of these programmes has a specific focus within the wider topic of migration and development.

Organisations and programmes

CONCORD – Migration and Development Taskforce

CONCORD is the European confederation of Relief and Development NGOs and is made up of member organisations: 28 national associations, 18 international networks and two associate members that represent over 2,400 NGOs, supported by millions of citizens across Europe. CONCORD leads reflection and political actions and regularly engages in dialogue with the European institutions and other civil society organisations. At global level, CONCORD is actively involved in the CSO Partnership on Development Effectiveness, Beyond 2015 campaign and the International Forum of NGO platforms.

The Migration and Development Task Force is a working structure within CONCORD. The aim of this informal group is to share analysis on migration and development issues and coordinate members’ initiatives in this field at the EU level – for example, with regard to the EU Global Approach to Migration and Mobility, and the annual Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). The group supports CONCORD’s work on policy coherence for development. The group also feeds in the CSO contact group on migration and development.

ICMC Europe – Europe Chapter Coordinator for Migration and Development Civil Society Network (MADE)

ICMC Europe supports ICMC Headquarters in advancing the rights of refugees and migrants and is participating in this initiative as the coordinator of the MADE network Europe Chapter.

Implemented by UNDP - Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI)

JMDI is an inter-UN agency global programme implemented by UNDP in collaboration with IOM, ITC-ILO, UNHCR, UNFPA, UN Women and UNITAR, aimed at maximizing the potential of migration for local development through the delivery of targeted support to local authorities and non-state actors.

Making migration work for development necessitates a multi-stakeholder and multi-level approach bringing together a wide range of local, national and international governmental actors, civil society, private sector, academia and more.

This joint initiative represents an opportunity to come together with other M&D partners in a spirit of mutual support, exchange of knowledge and ideas, and to strengthen the discourse promoting the importance of M&D, particularly in the context of the new Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Red Cross EU office – Rights of Migrants in action

The  Red  Cross  EU  Office  represents  Red  Cross  National  Societies  of  the European Union Member States, EFTA and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent  Societies (IFRC). The Office coordinates relations and communications between its members and the EU institutions in order to take action to meet the needs of vulnerable people both inside and outside the EU.

Rights of Migrants in Action is a programme managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It aims to promote and protect the human rights of migrants in 15 targeted countries through a globally coordinated civil society action, with a specific focus on migrant domestic workers and victims of human trafficking. The countries are: Benin, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Thailand and Zimbabwe.

UNHCR – Solutions Alliance

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees. The Solutions Alliance was launched in 2014 to advance a partnership-oriented approach to addressing protracted displacement situations and preventing new displacement situations from becoming protracted.

An inclusive forum, the Solutions Alliance acts as a catalyst for mobilising development and humanitarian actors to work together to find voluntary solutions to displacement. Reflecting this, the membership includes donor and host governments, UN agencies, and multilateral financial institutions, civil society organisations, international NGOs, the private sector and academia. The Solutions Alliance is co-chaired by UNHCR, together with the Government of Denmark, UNDP and IRC.

What to look forward to during the 2015 EDDs

For the purposes of the European Development Days, the five organisations will present:

1) Migrants matter for Development: Lab session D4 (June 3, 12:45 – 2pm)

The session will be held at the D4 Debate room and will feature speakers from several organisations, to discuss innovative partnerships and approaches contributing to positive changes on the ground for all migrants and their communities.

Check out the agenda and list of speakers (pdf).

2) Migration and Development in Action: joint stand at the European Development Days Village (D12)

The stand D12 will located at the EDD Village during June 3-4 2015 and will feature videos from all organisations, ongoing campaigns, and a quiz on migration and development.

MADE/ICMC Europe will also host the photo exhibition 'Untold Stories: how migrants contribute to human and economic development'.

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