The 13th GFMD Summit was held online from 18 – 26 January 2021 under the Chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Summit marked the end of a year-long process, which encompassed five online regional consultations, three Friends of the Forum, two Migration Labs, alongside numerous webinars and meetings of the GFMD Working Groups.

For the first time in 2020, all GFMD sessions were open to civil society delegates to attend (with the exception of the Future of the Forum and the Business and Mayors Mechanisms networking sessions). Prior to the Summit, all civil society delegates met to discuss their own priorities during the GFMD Civil Society Preparatory Meeting (CSPM)