Global Forum on Migration and Development will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh on December 10th – 12th and is preceded by 2 civil society days, Thursday and Friday December 8th and 9th. Good Shepherd will be represented by Sr Maria Magdalena Z. Saavedra from the Philippinies and Ms Theresa Symons, Regional Manager, Mission Development Office Asia Pacific. (Malaysia)
Both women are accomplished and experts in the fields of Migration and Human Trafficking and bring this expertize and insight to the Global Forum on Migration and Development on behalf of ‘Good Shepherd.’ Magdalena is with Religious of the Good Shepherd – Center for Overseas Workers (RGS-COW) in Davao, Philippines. Read about RGS-COW Theresa in her own words ‘bringing broad and deep experience to a new regional role‘ within the Mission Development Office.
The concept_paper_gfmd_2016_civil_society_programme_final en-1 provides good information as to what will be happening in Dhaka. The background to the GFMD can be found at the bottom of page 1 and top of page 2 from the UN perspective. The overall theme is “Migration that works for Sustainable Development for All: Towards a Transformative Migration Agenda”
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein made this statement on September 19, 2016 and I quote the following ‘A human rights-based migration governance framework should include attention to addressing the drivers of precarious migration, such as climate change and extreme poverty. It should ensure due attention to saving lives in transit and ensuring human rights at borders. It should enhance safe and regular pathways to entry. Measures should be taken which provide specific protection of the rights of migrants, and would include measures to decriminalize irregular migration and to regularize the status of irregular migrants. And it should seek to collect disaggregated data on the human rights situation of migrants, including specific data on migrants killed, injured, or victims of crime while attempting to cross maritime, land or air borders.” These outline some of the critical issues. How does this compare with our gs_position_on_migration? The 30th Congregational Chapter and the Direction Statement expressed deep concern about refugees and migrants. One recommendation was ‘that the CLT establish working groups to develop corporate responses to issues of global importance.’ Migration today is one of these issues. We have two representatives attending. The theme of the civil society days is “Time for Action: Doing rights-based governance of migration and development in our communities and across borders”
On November 25th U.N. Says 2016 Will Be Deadliest Year Ever For Migrants Crossing The Mediterranean What is your response? What questions do you want our representative to ask? What change do you wish to see?
For further information see my blog posts of September 13, 16, and 19, 2016
Thanks Winifred for highlighting the GFMD for the GS community to respond.
To those who wish to raise a comment at the Forum, please feel free to email me at theresa.symons@gssweb.org.
Thank you for putting this information together – so accessible from a variety of linked sources.
I’m sure our Good Shepherd partners wil speak the GS voice loudly – for mercy, compassion and strong policy.I look forward ot tier feedback.
It is incomprehensible to me how the world tolerates the deaths in Mediterranean and Deaths in the Asian seas and the desperation of children. it is unconscionable how wealthy countries turn their backs and refuse entry
My main questions is how can policy on migration give primacy and immediacy to Human rights for all.
clare nolan
Read http://nation.com.pk/columns/30-Nov-2016/the-other-migration-crisis by Sana Chaudhry – Climate Migrants. All vulnerable to being trafficked and sexually exploited!
See what is happening in Bangladesh where the GFMD is being held.
“This means that the estimated 200,000 Bangladeshis who become homeless each year due to river erosion, cannot on the grounds of climate change destroying their livelihoods, appeal for resettlement in another country. It also means that the residents of the small islands of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu, who have migrated in thousands due to worsening environmental conditions, can’t be classified as refugees. The latest figures from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre 2015 report show that more than 19 million people from 100 countries were forced to flee their homes in 2014 because of natural disasters, with an average of 22.5 million people displaced by climate- or weather-related events since 2008. National responses to disasters have been fragmented and less adequate than hoped for.” quote from the article.
Congratulation for representing us. My wish is to see the life of migrants supported by the international community.
Take for example Kenya has been hosting over 2m refugees in the 2major camps:Kakuma mainly from Sudan and Dadaab majority being Somalians. As some return to their homeland, they are likely to be rejected by the fellow citizens.
How prepared is the receiving state? What mechanisms are in place to settle these persons without stigma. How is the UN and international community facilitating the resettlement to avoid future wars.
Thanks Donatus. The issues you want to raise are noted.
December 2nd Attending a conference on Migration,gender and family relations see updated agenda and participant bios visit our website: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/11/families-on-the-move hashtag #familiesonthemove @UN_Women to see snippets from what is happening here. How will outcome of today affect the Global Forum on Migration and Development?