As we work towards an ambitious, effective and human rights-based discussion and outcome at the International Migration Review Forum we are producing a series of short papers to support steps towards migration justice through delivering on the promise of people-centered migration governance contained in the Global Compact of Migration.

The papers on this page cover the following: 

• What is the IMRF? 
• Why does the IMRF matter? 
• Key entry points in the roadmap to the IMRF 

For thematic papers with policy recommendations, please see here.

To view the complete series of briefing papers titled 'Migration Justice: Delivering on the Promise of the Global Compact for Migration' on Padlet, please click here.

QUNO thanks the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation for their support with translations and design for this series.

QUNO's December 2021 issue of the Geneva Reporter newsletter is available below. This issue includes reflections and updates from QUNO staff who attended COP 26 in Glasgow on November 2021. This issue also provides updates on our programs, Peace and Disarmament (P&D) and Human Rights and Refugees. We also welcome QUNO's new incoming director, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, and say farewell to our outgoing director, Jonathan Woolley who will retire on 31 December 2021.You can read more about Nozizwe and her vision for QUNO in the Q&A section. 

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes trade as an essential means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Aid for Trade (AfT) is a mechanism which aims to support developing countries in building the capacity and infrastructure so that they can benefit from and engage in trade. AfT is an integral part of the SDG 8, in particular target 8a. on increasing AfT support for developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). This working paper has benefited from comments shared on a previous draft by a group of various stakeholders to whom we are grateful. These insights were shared at a meeting at Quaker House in Geneva on 28 October 2021. This is a work in progress and we welcome further comments. This is the fourth paper in the series on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, which also includes papers on the topics of circular economy, environmental goods and services, and fossil fuel subsidy reform.

The purpose of this briefing paper is to provide information on Fossil Fuel Subsidies (FFS) and their relationship with trade and trade rules that can help inform their discussions on possible action at the WTO, in particular in the TESSD. This working paper has benefited from comments shared on a previous draft by a group of various stakeholders to whom we are grateful. These insights were shared at a meeting at
Quaker House in Geneva on 27 September 2021. This is a work in progress and we welcome further comments. This is the third paper in the series on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, which also includes papers on the topics of circular economy, environmental goods and services reform, and greening Aid for Trade.

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of, set out ideas around, and raise questions on the different elements of a deliverable on environmental goods and services (EGS) from the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Discussions (TESSD) in the World Trade Organization (WTO). This work has benefited from collaboration with and support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Geneva and from comments shared by a group of various stakeholders at a meeting at Quaker House in Geneva on 2 September 2021. This is a work in progress and we welcome further comments. This is the second paper in the series on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, which also includes papers on the topics of circular economy, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and greening Aid for Trade.

The Civil Society-UN Prevention Platform has launched a new report that summarizes the key findings from the recent discussion series on Advancing Prevention Across UN Sectors and Institutions: Collective Pathways for Effective Prevention that brought together Member States, UN agencies, and international and local civil society.

The report shares key good practices and challenges concerning multilateral leadership, transformative gender analysis, youth participation, the impacts of climate, mediation, and upstream prevention, and outlines opportunities for strengthening prevention across the UN system. 

The Human Rights and Refugees Program at QUNO-Geneva has begun to work explicitly on the intersection between racial justice and migration governance seeking to bring an anti-racist approach and analysis to our work on migration. The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline new UN mechanisms and highlight our initial ideas of possible actions and ways to engage during this time to further action on racial justice and migration governance. In response to the massive protests and calls for racial justice in 2020, the High Commissioner for Human Rights set out an agenda for transformative change for racial justice. New processes create entry points for States to build on, complement, and accelerate an anti-racism agenda, including on migration.

Some examples include:

• the International Independent Expert Mechanism can hold consultations with migrants on their experiences of law enforcement and systemic racism
• the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent can develop specific recommendations on migration governance for States.
• In the run-up and during the International Migration Review Forum, opportunities can be created for advancing racial justice within the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration.

Working for racial justice is central to working for migration justice and we are committed to building a world without violence where dignity and rights are upheld regardless of migration status and not on the basis of citizenship or perceived deservedness.

The Global Compact for Migration (GCM), adopted in 2018, is a significant commitment from governments to take a people centred and human rights based approach to migration policy and to work together towards this. The GCM invites regions to undertake reviews of the implementation of the compact every four years starting in 2020. These processes will feed into the International Migration Review Forum, also due to take place every four years, starting in 2022.

The 2020 Regional Migration Reviews are the first opportunity for States and others to reflect together on the initial steps taken and on how to make further progress to implement the GCM. They are also the first opportunity for detailed multilateral discussion on migration governance following the Covid-19 pandemic and to identify ways to adapt with the GCM as a guiding framework. 

This paper is intended to help migrants, NGOs and other stakeholders to engage with the Regional Migration Reviews as part of their work to improve the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants.

To mark International Conscientious Objectors' Day on the 15TH of May 2021, QUNO is pleased to be releasing our new publication on conscientious objection and refugee status determination procedures. This report aims to support informed refugee status determination for conscientious objectors to military service seeking asylum by highlighting relevant international and regional standards and jurisprudence and analyzing national guidance. We are keen to carry out further research covering other countries and regions and encourage people with access to this information to contact the Human Rights & Refugees programme.