The first GFMD Friends of the Forum (FoF) meeting for this year took place this past week on 22 July 2020. Given the current pandemic, the meeting was held online for the first time.  Stéphane Jaquemet, Head of the GFMD Civil Society Coordinating Office, presented the official intervention on behalf of Civil Society, and as one of the three stakeholder mechanisms of the GFMD. 

The FoF meetings are typically held three times a year before the annual GFMD Summit. They’re open to States who are members of the FoF, the three stakeholder mechanisms (Civil Society, Business Mechanism, and Mayors Mechanism), and a few official observer organizations.  The FoF meetings ensure that all members and observers are informed of Forum-related developments. They cover matters of substance (such as the thematic issues being consulted on in the regional preparatory meetings) and other technical decisions leading to the annual GFMD Summit. 

We must take calculated risks 

Stéphane stressed in his statement for the need to invest more in the collective and bottom-up process that is the GFMD: “without a bit of risk–taking, the informality becomes a liability, rather than a big plus.” 

“The success of the GFMD”, he continued, “lies in the level of preparation of the stakeholders, and in joint ownership and shared responsibility. (…) The GFMD can only make a real contribution to global migration governance if we all do our homework and come up with innovative solutions, non-pre-cooked good practices, and concrete proposals to move forward.” 

Partnership is the keystone of this year’s GFMD process, rendered even more important by the ravages of the COVID-19 crisis.  

The next FoF meeting will take place in September, continuing the series of broad and inclusive stakeholder consultations before the 2020 UAE GFMD Summit!