This case study forms part of a series of case studies on good practices, lessons learnt and recommendations extracted from the projects supported by the UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) to enhance migration management for local development. The experience of the JMDI shows that the most effective initiatives are anchored with local or regional authorities and carried out in a multi-stakeholder and participatory approach, including migrants and migrants’ associations or diaspora. This is increasingly important given global trends of increasing decentralization and urbanization with urban areas being the destination of choice for most migrants and displaced persons. Thus the series aims to provide local actors with tools and ideas to take on this role as many can lack the means, human and financial resources, know-how or necessary support to tap into the local development potential of migration.

This case study looks at how to foster vertical coherence in migration management for development from the local to the national levels through the establishment of a regional committee on migration and development (CMD). A CMD can serve to link up local, regional and national actors working in migration management and build synergies and collaboration between and among the various projects, activities and services provided. This can serve to optimise the benefits of migration for national and local development and reduce its negative effects. This is particularly important when a plethora of different actors at different levels all have a role and stake in migration management which can lead to overlaps, ineffectiveness and misuse of resources. Indeed while it is local and regional authorities that are at the forefront of managing migration for local development, often they lack the know-how, support, resources and competencies to be successful. At the same time, while traditionally it is at the national level that policies and laws on migration and development are established, a lack of coordination with local and regional authorities leads to a lack of insight into what the real needs and opportunities are on the ground. By bringing the national, regional and local levels together through a coordination mechanism at the regional level, national policies can be refined and local implementation can be supported, and thus policy coherence assured in order to enhance the effectiveness of all actions and policies.