Migration and Development

A woman carrying her young child walks towards a UNHCR bus that will transport them to the Moria Reception / Registration center where they will register with Greek Authorities before continuing their journey towards Athens.

On September 25, 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which commits Member States to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions. Those whose needs are reflected in the Agenda include refugees, internally displaced people and migrants.

In the 2030 Agenda Member States expressly recognizes that ‘international migration […] requires coherent and comprehensive responses’, and commit ‘to cooperat[ing] internationally to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration involving full respect for human rights and the humane treatment of migrants regardless of migration status, of refugees and of displaced persons’ (para. 29).

UNHCR is firmly committed to the 2030 Agenda, and engages in the global debate on migration and development to ensure that refugees and other displaced persons are included in this effort.

In particular, in respect of asylum and migration, the 2030 Agenda:

highlights the impact of humanitarian crises and forced displacement of people on development progress;
calls for the empowerment of vulnerable groups, including migrants;
calls for access by all these categories of persons, including migrants, to life-long learning opportunities;
recognizes the positive contribution of migrants for inclusive growth and sustainable development;
commits to eradicating of all forms of discrimination and violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation;
calls for the protection of labor rights and promotion of safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women;
promotes the facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
promotes, by 2020, the enhancement of a capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts.

In this respect, UNHCR has actively contributed to the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) since it was created in 2007. The GFMD is an informal, government-led process that seeks to address the migration and development interconnections in practical and action-oriented ways. UNHCR provides expertise and support to the development of preparatory materials, the organization of side events and to roundtable discussions. Read UNHCR’s statement to the 10^th GFMD Summit meeting Towards a Global Social Contract on Migration and Development.

UNHCR also participates in other global migration and development initiatives, such as the High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD). The HLD was created in 2006 to offer a space where governments, entities of the UN system, NGOs, and private sector can discuss the multi-dimensional aspects, opportunities and challenges related to migration in order to identify appropriate ways and means to maximize its development benefits and minimize its negative impacts.