Explore the background and the activities of the Civil Society Action Committee (AC) with the following multimedia resources:
Multi-stakeholder engagement in migration governance — reality from the ground
Elana Wong, the current AC Coordinator, joined the Migration & Diaspora Podcast in January 2024 to discuss the role of civil society in global migration governance. Drawing from her leadership of the Action Committee, she provided a compelling overview of how civil society can actively shape migration policies and ensure that diverse voices are represented in international decision-making processes.
During the conversation, Elana reflected on the progress and challenges of civil society participation since the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) in 2018. She also discussed strategies to make global migration governance more inclusive and impactful, emphasising the importance of sustained engagement and accountability.
“Messy but beautiful”: How civil society engages in global migration
Guest of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, the Former AC Coordinator, Colin Rajah, is interviewed about the “messy but beautiful” business of advocating for civil society in global migration governance. Thanks to his extensive experience as civil society advocate, he illustrates in simple terms the day-to-day work of the AC and its long-term goals and objectives.
Among the topics of the thought-provoking discussion are what ‘global advocacy’ actually means in practice and how the Action Committee manages to channel the views of such a diverse set of organisations into coherent advocacy work. The dialogue also touched upon the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and how these processes can result in concrete actions that benefit migrants.
Perilous Passage: Louise Arbour and the future of migration
This documentary retraces the fight for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), following the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for International Migration, Louise Arbour, as she leads the UN’s discussions to develop and negotiate the Global Compact for Migration.
After the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants in 2016, the UN Member States recognized the need for a comprehensive approach to human mobility and enhanced cooperation at the global level. As a result, a multi-stakeholder process was put in place between 2017 and 2018 to develop the GCM, a process that was confronted by rising nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiments in many countries.
Civil society played a key role in the consultation, stock-taking and negotiation phases of the GCM, especially through the advocacy work of the AC’s members to collectively support migrants around the globe.
Director and Producer: Ole Gjerstad
52 mins. Radio-Canada March 2020.
Disclaimer: Only for educational, advocacy, non-commercial use.
Password: PP-English subs