QUNO welcomes the publication of the UN Network’s on Migration’s Roadmap for the International Migration Review Forum. Work towards this Forum is well underway and we have published a paper outlining what the IMRF is. This is our first paper in a planned series on Migration Justice: Delivering on the Promise of the Global Compact for Migration.

The IMRF will review progress on implementation of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and identify continuing challenges and priorities for collective action. In terms of impact our hopes and expectations of the IMRF are that it will:

• Set the tone and shape an ambitious global agenda for using the GCM to reduce the human cost of migration governance – a human cost that is currently far too high.
• Incentivize human rights-based national implementation of the GCM in a sustainable way.
• Expand space for migrants in policy development including by making a compelling case for their participation at all levels

We have raised these points in the recent International Organisation for Migration’s International Dialogue on Migration and in the UN Network on Migration briefing for the Member States. We also welcomed the President of the General Assembly’s commitment to a Presidency of Hope and recalled the words of the Gates of Hope which describes these as:

The piece of ground from which you see the world

Both as it is and as it could be

As it will be;

And finishes by saying:

And we stand there,…

Telling people what we are seeing

Asking people what they see.

We believe this is crucial as part of the road to the IMRF: listening and dialogue to identify commonalities, divergence, opportunities, and challenges. We believe it is important that this time be used to hear from migrants with a wide range of expertise and experience on how current migration governance is not working. This will help us all come to the IMRF ready to articulate what is needed to deliver on the promise of the GCM to put people at the centre of migration governance and ready to take collective action to get there.