“It’s very important that we have a space where civil society can have an open dialogue with governments. The good thing about the GFMD is that […] usually, governments are quite open and it’s a place where delicate migration issues can be discussed in an open and transparent manner,” says Stephane Jaquemet, Director of Policy at the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and Head of the GFMD Civil Society Coordinating Office.

In Quito, for example, the issues discussed were criminalization of migrants, but also of civil society working with migrants, access to services by irregular migrants, and the phenomenon of mixed migration.

“The GFMD is a laboratory, it’s a long-term investment,” states Mr. Jaquemet. “We must remember that the GFMD, created 13 years ago, paved the way for the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration.”

In this interview, Mr. Jaquemet reviews what was accomplished in Quito, and describes the roadmap ahead for the next GMFD Summit, in Dubai in 2021.

Watch the interview.