GCM’s Campaign on the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative
Background
The Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) initiative is a “multi-stakeholder, state-led consultative process to develop non-binding, voluntary principles, guidelines and effective practices for States and other stakeholders to better prepare for, respond to, and address the longer-term consequences of migrants caught in countries experiencing conflicts or natural disasters.” Throughout 2015 and 2016, the MICIC Initiative will be organizing a series of consultations, including six regional consultations, to compile a range of good practices in preparing for, and responding to these situations. (For more details on these consultations and other details of MICIC, view the MICIC website at: http://micicinitiative.iom.int/.)
In 2012-2013, under the leadership of GCM members, civil society groups committed to a landmark global civil society “5 Year, 8-point Plan of Action for Collaboration with Governments.” which were presented to the UN General Assembly’s second High-level Dialogue on International Migration & Development in 2013. Point 3 of that plan refers explicitly to “migrants stranded in distress”, including situations of “war, conflict or disaster”, applied also to “migrant victims of violence or trauma in transit.” Following that, GCM members agreed to prioritize this area as one of GCM’s core campaigns and programs for the 5-year period of 2014-2018.
As such, the MICIC Initiative’s process has become one of GCM’s key work areas within GCM’s broader Migrants in Crisis program. Specifically, GCM is involved in organizing regional civil society MICIC consultations through June 2016 in conjunction with the MICIC Initiative’s regional consultations for states.
GCM also collaborates and assists the MICIC Secretariat and Working Group with its civil society webinar and civil society stakeholder consultation (see below), and in other areas related to civil society engagement in MICIC.
Regional Civil Society MICIC Consultations
Working alongside the Migration and Development Network (MADE), and in partnership with GCM and MADE members and partners in various regions, GCM organized a series of civil society consultations in parallel with the MICIC Initiative’s regional consultations for states:
South, East & South East Asia
Manila, Philippines
21-22 March 2015
Regional organizer/host: Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Brussels, Belgium
24 June 2015
Regional organizer/host: MADE-Europe
- Background & Agenda (English)
- Background & Agenda (Russian)
- Civil Society Co-rapporteur Michele LeVoy’s presentation
- Civil Society Co-rapporteur Tolekan Ismailova’s presentation
West & Central Africa
Dakar, Senegal
7 December 2015
Regional organizer/host: Caritas Senegal
- Background & Agenda (French)
- Background & Agenda (English)
- Civil Society Rapporteur Alphonse Seck presentation (French)
- Civil Society Rapporteur Alphonse Seck’s presentation (English translation)
Latin America
San Jose, Costa Rica
16 February 2016
Regional organizer/host: CIDEHUM
- Background & Agenda (Spanish)
- Civil Society Rapporteur Carol Giron’s presentation (Spanish)
- Civil Society Rapporteur Carol Giron’s presentation (English translation)
Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
Beirut, Lebanon
11-12 March 2016
Regional organizer: Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
Regional host: Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center
- Background & Agenda
- Civil Society Rapporteur Linda Alkalash’s presentation (Arabic)
- Civil Society Rapporteur Linda Alkalash’s presentation (English translation)
East & Southern Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
29 April 2016
Regional organizer: Pan-African Network in Defense of Migrant Rights (PANiDMR)
Regional host: Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS)
Civil Society Stakeholder Consultation
On 28-29 January 2016, the MICIC Secretariat organized a global civil society stakeholder consultation as part of its series of key stakeholder consultations, in Geneva, Switzerland. As part of this MICIC project, GCM and its members provided advisory input into the organizing, agenda and outreach/invitations for this consultation, and almost all of GCM’s members participated in the civil society stakeholder consultation.
During the opening session of this civil society stakeholder consultation, GCM presented its mid-term consultation report on its regional consultations. GCM’s report can be downloaded here, and the presentation itself can be viewed here.
The MICIC Secretariat full report for this civil society stakeholder consultation can be found here.
Additional details about the consultation can be viewed at the MICIC Secretariat webpage for civil society stakeholders: http://micicinitiative.iom.int/consultations/civil-society.
Launch of MICIC Guidelines
On 15 June 2016, the MICIC Guidelines was launched at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Guidelines can be downloaded here:
http://micicinitiative.iom.int/sites/default/files/document/MICIC_Guidelines_web.pdf
The entire launch can be viewed here:
http://webtv.un.org/watch/launch-of-guidelines-to-protect-migrants-in-countries-experiencing-conflict-or-natural-disaster/4943192179001
In conjunction with the occasion of the launch, GCM released a statement, which can be found here:
https://6b638c.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GCM-Statement-on-MICIC-Guidelines-Launch.pdf
GCM’s International Coordinator also presented remarks from a civil society perspective during the launch. His remarks can be viewed here:
https://6b638c.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Colin-Rajah-remarks-for-MICIC-Guidelines-NYC-Launch-panel.pdf
