‘Reclaiming Space’: Strengthening Global Civil Society Advocacy on Migration

ICMC-coordinated Civil Society Action Committee holds global Forum strengthening civil society advocacy on migration, builds future strategies, messages, and approaches.

Read the Civil Society Action Committee report from the Forum

Civil society has a crucial role to play in advocating for migrant rights and dignity, including in international discussions and decision-making on migration policy and governance.

In a context of increased conflict and displacement, reduced resources, and more punitive policymaking, how can civil society’s voice be maintained in this global space? What action is possible in contexts in which the rule of law is inconsistently upheld, and how can civil society advance migrant rights under these conditions?

To explore these questions, the Civil Society Action Committee*, the global network of 54 civil society representatives coordinated by ICMC, convened Reclaiming Space: Civil Society Strategy and Engagement Forum. Taking place in Geneva on 7-9 July 2026, the Forum brought together 23 Action Committee members, with a further 20 participants from Member States, U.N. agencies, donors, and others joining for dedicated multistakeholder discussions.   

“Governments and other stakeholders joined us the first day and engaged in hard and honest conversations,” he continues. “We then carried those insights into the rest of the Forum to strengthen our own strategy, and eventually to take that work directly to the Permanent Missions we attended on the last day.”

‘Where are we now?’ Civil society engagement in global migration processes & policy

The Forum assessed the current state of play for civil society engagement across international migration processes: the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), and other dialogues and spaces in which governments and stakeholders shape migration policy.

“What we see is that many of these spaces are dealing with connected issues and often involve the same communities, yet civil society engagement across them remains fragmented,” says Poveda. “The Forum gave us the change to step outside individual processes, identify common priorities, strengthen coordination, and think more deliberately about how advocacy can effectively move across local, national, regional and international levels.”

“Visa barriers meant that five of 28 civil society representatives could not join us in Geneva. We see this consistently in our work, and it is always difficult to come to terms with challenges like this. Access directly shapes who can enter these spaces, whose experiences are heard, and ultimately, whose perspectives help shape the decisions and policy outcomes that affect migrants and people on the move.”

Hector Poveda, ICMC Advocacy Team

Discussions also addressed the increasingly restricted context for global civil society advocacy, and the impact of punitive policymaking and public discourse on organizations and human rights defenders working with migrants and people on the move.

“Visa restrictions and reduced funding do not affect all organizations equally. Migrant-led and grassroots organizations are often among those closest to affected communities, yet they also face some of the greatest barriers to accessing the spaces where decisions are being made,” says Poveda. “Here, visa barriers meant that five of 28 civil society representatives could not join us in Genva. We see this consistently in our work, and it is always difficult to come to terms with because access directly shapes who can enter these spaces and whose experiences are heard. Ultimately, it determines whose perspectives help shape the decisions and policy outcomes that affect migrants and people on the move.”

Looking to the future: Key messages, opportunities, & strategies for action

The Forum focused on building a strategy for the future of global civil society advocacy on migration. Participants exchanged experiences, knowledge, and ideas, to develop key messages in six thematic areas:

• Climate mobility, livelihoods and local realities.
• Social protection, human rights and labor rights.
• Gender and participation in migration governance.
• Community engagement and the diaspora.
• Advocacy tools for engagement with decision-makers.
• Preparation for diplomatic engagement.

To operationalize the strategy, participants finally developed advocacy ‘asks’ and recommendations, and identified opportunities and approaches to engage with State representations. 

“We concluded by asking all participants to reflect on what had worked, where challenges remained, and what they could carry into to future engagement with decision-makers,” says Poveda. “In this way, we were able to link the Forum’s political analysis and thematic discussions to the practical requirements of diplomatic advocacy, particularly in the difficult environment civil society is navigating today.”

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* Since 2016, ICMC has housed the Secretariat of the Civil Society Action Committee, a global network of 54 civil society representatives active in refugee protection and migrant rights, alongside regional and international civil society networks, youth networks, trades unions, and many others. The Civil Society Action Committee is co-convened by ICMC, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), and the NGO Committee on Migration.