ICMC Speaks up at UN Migration Summit in New York

ICMC Speaks up at UN Migration Summit in New York
John K. Bingham, ICMC's Head of Policy, at the 13th Coordination Meeting on International Migration in New York. Photo credit: UN Web TV

During the 13th Coordination Meeting on International Migration, organized by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (UNDESA) in New York, ICMC’s representatives highlighted topics of utmost concern to ICMC.

John K. Bingham, ICMC Head of Policy, and Wies Maas, Manager of the Civil Society Migration and Development Programme (MADE), spoke repeatedly before the assembly about the protection of migrants in transit, the reform of recruitment practices for migrant workers, and the civil society’s Global Stockholm Agenda for the new Sustainable Development Goals.

John Bingham particularly touched on last week’s tragic events which saw several hundred migrants drowning off the Libyan coasts while trying to reach Italy. While Italy managed to rescue hundred of thousands boat people in 2014 through the Mare Nostrum operation, Bingham explained, the current European initiative – named Triton – is “underfunded, under-resourced, under-rescuing” and moving previous efforts backwards.

Peter Sutherland, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for International Migration and newly nominated President of ICMC, also gave a long presentation on the first day of the meeting, congratulating NGOs for their work on migration issues.

The convention was established in response to a 2004 General Assembly resolution advocating for more cooperation in international migration activities. This year’s summit particularly focused on progress integrating migration into the post-2015 United Nations development agenda and on follow-up activities to the 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. More information can be found through the UNDESA Population Division website.

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ICMC provides assistance and protection to vulnerable people on the move and advocates for sustainable solutions for refugees and migrants.