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Georgia and the Global Compact for Migration Reporting Guidelines for Consideration

Primary GCM Objectives

GCM Guiding Principles*

*All practices are to uphold the ten guiding principles of the GCM. This practice particularly exemplifies these listed principles.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dates

2021 - Present

Type of practice

Other

Geographic scope

Country:

Georgia

Regions:

Asia

Sub Regions:

West Asia

Summary

With an aim to support the Government of Georgia’s participation in the voluntary reporting process, specifically in the view of upcoming International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) and subsequent regional reviews, and concurrently in the implementation of the Migration Strategy of Georgia launched in 2021, IOM, on behalf of the UN Network on Migration in Georgia, led a consultative process involving State Commission on Migration Issues (SCMI) to elaborate guidelines to provide information on the Global Compact for Migration and the available resources; assess the overlaps and interconnections between the Migration Strategy of Georgia 2021-2030 and the Global Compact; and to identify common points and priority areas including national migration priorities, policies, and strategies that Georgia could consider reporting on in line with the identified objectives of the Global Compact for Migration. Based on the initial desk research, followed by a number of subsequent discussions, working meetings, and consultations organized in May-September 2021 with SCMI, the guidelines provide an overview of the Global Compact for Migration, its reporting mechanisms and rationale; indicate how the existing Georgian migration governance documents are aligned with the principles and objectives of the Global Compact for Migration; provide implications of reporting; and include a suggested template indicating how reporting could be operationalized on the Global Compact with some suggested priority themes, with a focus on effective practices and innovative approaches.

Organizations

Main Implementing Organization(s)

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Benefit and Impact

The principal benefit and desired impact of this undertaking is to encourage and facilitate participation of Georgia in the GCM implementation and review, building upon and considering the existing complex migration management policy, strategy and institutional set up in the country and finding convergences with the existing reporting obligations, thus enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall migration governance in the country. The guidelines provide compiled information on the Global Compact for Migration and the available resources, its reporting mechanisms, reporting implications and benefits while identifying opportunities for Georgia to take a more active role in the implementation and reporting on the Global Compact. It also analyses Georgia’s current Migration Strategy and its convergence with the Global Compact, existing structures for migration governance and Georgia’s position towards the Global Compact and highlights opportunities for reporting, detailing possible benefits and offering suggestions on how to approach the process of report drafting, organization of the work as well as the content. The document identifies many existing synergies among the Migration Strategy of Georgia 2021-2030 and its 2021 Action Plan, the Global Compact principles and objectives, the Sustainable Development Goals and other migration related international commitments and reporting requirements. It concludes that Georgia could draw upon the existing practices, tap into available material, and develop its first voluntary report on the implementation of the Global Compact, showcasing best practices and raising its profile among the Global Compact peers, inspiring others and promoting collaboration.

Key Lessons

Identifying relevant government officials to receive comprehensive information especially during the initial stages of the desk research and understanding of the internal procedures and preferred timelines of the government would greatly improve the quality of the product and accelerate the process.

Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)

Providing the government with all available resources on the Global Compact while analyzing synergies and existing links between the national strategies and policies with the principles and objectives of the Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals, provides a more comprehensive and holistic picture for the government to consider and identify avenues for reporting. In the process of preparing such document, regular coordination and comprehensive input from the relevant government stakeholders in the initial stages of the desk research and data gathering plays an important role. An analysis of strengths, benefits and opportunities would depict a holistic picture that could identify several approaches in addressing the challenges and constrains that hinders active participation and reporting. Raising awareness on the Global Compact and the related processes among all relevant government stakeholders would contribute to more active engagement. Ultimately, weather to report or not will be decided by the Government, but it is important to provide all available resources, as many benefits that come out of reporting as possible and offer further technical support, if available.

Innovation

The document was produced to provide comprehensive information on the available resources on the Global Compact and implications of reporting while also providing recommendations and practical tools, including a customized reporting template, to encourage the Government of Georgia to report on the status of the implementation of the Global Compact, addressing their questions and concerns with regards to duplications and complexities of different overlapping reporting commitments.

Date submitted:

26 January 2022

Disclaimer: The content of this practice reflects the views of the implementers and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, the United Nations Network on Migration, and its members.

 

 

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).