Migration and SDGs: Call for contributions

Over the past four years of implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, progress has been made on a number of fronts to deliver on strengthening its links with the SDGs.

Acknowledging the importance of the SDG Summit in September 2023 and the forthcoming  Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development (GFRID) Summit 2023, to be held on 14-16 June in Nairobi (Kenya) in conjunction with the International Day of Family Remittances (June 16^th), the UN Network on Migration, in partnership with IFAD, requests the support of UN agencies, partners and stakeholders working on migration, including remittances, to voice their commitments and engagements towards the SDG and the GFRID Summits through short video statements.

How to contribute

Through a short video of no longer than 90 seconds with short sentences and clear messages by your Principal or CEO. Key messages can include:

•  that migration, and remittances, can trigger transformative change towards achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda (key messages on the link between remittances and SDGs can be found here),
• why remittances are important for your organization,
• what you commit to do to promote faster, safer and cheaper remittance transfers, and to foster access and financial inclusion for remittances senders and their families back home, with a particular accent on digitalization and new technologies,  and
• your hope to see this reflected in this year SDG Summit.  (Network’s key messages on the SDG Summit are available here).

As an alternative, we would welcome a brief written statement by your organization/company of no more than 400 words on your entity’s letterhead.

When

Contributions (videos and statements) should be received by 31 May in order to be used for both Summits. Please send them to a.casano@ifad.org and fkim@iom.int at the secretariat of the Network.

Dissemination

Each video and statement will be widely shared on the Network and IDFR outreach channels and dedicated websites, distributed through social media, and shown during the SDG and GFRID 2023 Summits.

Background on the International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR)

Every 16 June, the United Nations’ International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) is observed. Through this Day, the UN aims to raise greater awareness of the impact that remittances have on millions of migrants’ families, their communities and countries of origin.

The IDFR is a key initiative towards the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (Objective 20), calling for the reduction of remittance transfer costs and greater financial inclusion for migrants and their families.

This year’s campaign for the IDFR recognizes the two-fold effectiveness of digital remittances: (i) in reducing transfer costs to achieve the SDG10 target of 3 per cent by 2030, and (ii) in enabling financial and digital inclusion among the most vulnerable groups of senders and recipients.  You can access the IDFR 2023-2024 campaign “Digital remittances towards financial inclusion and cost reduction” here (all information related to the campaign is available on the campaign’s website).

Background on the GFRID Summit 2023

Established in 2005, the Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development (GFRID) is an UN-led informal process aimed at bringing together stakeholders from around the world involved in the field of remittances, migration and development. The GFRID process culminates in the Summit, hosted biannually in different regions of the world, covering the most pressing issues of the remittance ecosystem with key actors from public and private sectors, and the civil society.

The 2023 edition of the GFRID Summit, Promoted by the GCM as a platform to engage all sectors, will explore opportunities and challenges in the post-pandemic landscape, with a major focus on main remittance corridors and diaspora investment innovations in Africa.

Background on the SDG Summit 2023

The 2023 SDG Summit will be convened on 18-19 September 2023, during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week. Heads of State and Government will gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to follow-up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They will carry out a comprehensive review of the state of the SDGs, respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the SDGs.