2 Dec 2011 • Trafficking and exploitation Switzerland, Various

Migration and Development: Civil society hands its recommendations to the States

- Published by Darcissac, Marion

This week, 160 States got together at the Global Forum of Migration and Development (GFMD) to discuss the issues and challenges of migration. Two days before the Forum, 186 delegates from civil society, including Terre des hommes, met to suggest solutions to the questions of migration. Seven recommendations were finally presented to the States participating in the Forum.

“Learn to work together”

On 29th and 30th November, organisations from 61 countries met to represent civil society and ended up with seven recommendations. The question of protection for youngsters moving around could be placed on the agenda for the States, thanks to the participation of two representatives of Terre des hommes (International Federation of Terre des Hommes and the Terre des hommes Foundation).
Compared with previous years, the issue of child protection was found to be more topical. The family was defined as a ‘cornerstone’ of all policies on migration and attention was drawn to the need to act on the reasons for people’s mobility and not solely on the consequences. Civil society now appeals to the States to establish ‘systems of child protection’, involving collaboration between all the State services, to aid migrant persons.

The recommendations of the civil society ended with a demand for more common ground amongst the States at a national, regional and international level, in order to ensure a decent future for migrants: “Learn to work together towards urgent changes”.

Gain strength to convince even more

Just as at the GFMD, Tdh systematically centres its interventions and active participation in debates in the normative framework (Convention of Child Rights), practical considerations and good practices resulting from projects in the field.

The participation at the GFMD was integrated in the strategy of advocacy, of which one of the next steps is that of Tdh taking part in the coming European Development Days (15th to 16th December 2011). This task is a part of the new thematic campaign of the International Federation of Terre des hommes on child mobility, " Destination Unknown". The official launching of this campaign is planned for 2012.

In Switzerland, Terre des hommes continues in its role as co-leader to revitalise the dialogue on issues of migration and development with Swiss associations and with the Interdepartmental Committee of the Federation. The recommendations of organisations from Swiss civil society, output from the process 2011, is one of the key instruments of the dialogue.

Further information on the Tdh participation in the Forum