Call for local action for migrants and refugees

In 2018, National Governments endorsed the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). These frameworks are rooted in and provide a path for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) by ensuring better migration and forced displacement governance. All three of these frameworks recognise the key role that cities, local and regional governments (LRGs) play in supporting migrants and displaced persons for the development of sustainable communities.

From May 16 - 20, 2022, National Governments will come back together for the first time to assess their progress towards the GCM at the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). In December 2023, they will reassess their progress towards the GCR at the next Global Refugee Forum (GRF). Yearly, local and regional governments also convene at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) through an LRG Day. In view of these high-level political milestones, it is critical to showcase that LRGs and their leaders continue to deliver pragmatic, ambitious action to meet and exceed the Global Compacts and the 2030 Agenda.
 
To meet this moment and capture local action to meet and exceed global goals, the Mayors Mechanism is launching a Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees (Call to Local Action, or CTA). The Call to Local Action is a collaborative effort between the Mayors Mechanism steering committee members – United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Mayors Migration Council (MMC) and the UN Migration Agency (IOM) – and is executed in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The three objectives of the Call to Local Action are to:
1. Expand the number of LRGs publicly endorsing the Compacts through the Marrakech Mayors Declaration and showcase growing public leadership and political will.
2. Collect and showcase the bold, people-centred local actions that achieve or exceed the Compacts’ goals to facilitate cross-fertilisation, peer learning, and replication by other LRGs.
3. Create a cohort of publicly recognized local and regional leaders engaged in robust GCM and GCR implementation to motivate scaling and investment in local and regional practices by States, and form new partnerships with international actors.

By joining the Call to Local Action and submitting an action, your local or regional government commits to implement the GCM and GCR while realising the 2030 Agenda. In turn, the Call to Local Action provides signatory cities with:
a. Recognition: By signing the Marrakech Mayors Declaration, your local or regional government will be listed in the Call to Local Action Flagship Publication and digital materials and showcased to an audience of National Governments and other stakeholders.
b. Knowledge: Your local or regional government will also receive regular updates about global process on migration and forced displacement and will be invited to join peer-learning and capacity development activities.
c. Access & visibility: Your submitted action will be elevated to three official inter-governmental stocktaking websites: the GCM, GCR, and the GFMD Platform for Partnerships. Actions received will be assessed and summarized in the Flagship Publication.
d. Influence: By submitting an action, your local or regional government will be showcased across official intergovernmental meetings and summits, including the 2022 IMRF, 2023 Global Refugee Forum, and the annual Global Forum on Migration and Development.

How can your local or regional government join?

Step 1: SIGN the Marrakech Mayors Declaration, adding your cities’ political endorsement to the Global Compacts 

Step 2: SUBMIT your action, showcasing how your city is meeting or exceeding the Global Compacts 

Step 3: LEARN through our capacity development and peer-learning initiatives

To request more information and join this movement of local and regional governments to help accelerate rights-based action on migration locally and globally, reach out to the Mayors Mechanism at cta@mayorsmechanism.org.

14.03.2022

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