OECD and GFMD Conclude Joint Consultation for European Perspectives on Migration

10 July 2020 

GENEVA: A joint consultation between the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, providing a platform for European perspectives on migration has come to a successful conclusion. The GFMD-OECD consultation is the fourth regional series to be completed, following on from similar events held in cooperation with the African Union, Bali Process and Regional Conference on Migration. 

Topics selected for dialogue by OECD constituents included the governance of labour migration in the context of changing employment landscapes, the skilling of migrants for employment, and fostering partnerships to realise migration-related goals in the Sustainable Development Agenda. Breakout sessions were led by Michelle Leighton, Chief of the ILO’s Labour Migration Branch; Michele Klein Solomon, Director of IOM’s Policy Hub; and Dilip Ratha, the World Bank’s Lead Economist, Migration and Remittances, and Head of KNOMAD.

The consultation included senior participation from the OECD, including Stefano Scarpetta, Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, and Mario Pezzini, Director of the OECD Development Centre. 

Commenting on the OECD consultations on behalf of the GFMD Chair, Abdulla AlNuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Communications and International Relations, UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said, “The OECD is one of the world’s leading economic and policy-focused organisations, and we are grateful to them for providing a platform for European stakeholders to engage in the process of GFMD 2020 regional consultations.”

The Global Forum on Migration and Development, founded in 2007, is the main inter-state process on migration and development, bringing together governments with other stakeholders to maximise the development outcomes of migration. Under the current 2020 Chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates, the GFMD is convening meetings for six key regions: Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and South Asia, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings are held online.