26 January 2021 | Mayor Madelaine Yorobe Alfelor of Iriga (Philippines) ensured the representation of local leaders in the 13th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) Summit, under the framework of the Mayors Mechanism. Mayor Madelaine is the Treasurer of UCLG, the world organisation of UCLG ASPAC. UCLG co-steers the Mayors Mechanism together with the Mayors Migration Council (MMC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The Mayors Mechanism facilitates the participation of local and regional authorities as a key stakeholder in the GFMD.
Mayor Madelaine acknowledged the importance of the GFMD as an open space where local government leaders can have meaningful exchange and interaction with other levels of government and stakeholders. She also reiterated that local leaders are not simply implementing partners. She added that “States and stakeholders need local governments as much as local governments need them to make migration work for all.”
The GFMD is a state-led, informal and non-binding process that shapes the global debate on migration and development. The 13th Summit, held from 18-26 January 2021, is the first Summit to be held online, to reflect regional perspectives, to include networking sessions for each mechanism, and to attract over 2,000 registered participants. The United Arab Emirates served as the chair in 2020 through January 2021.
UCLG ASPAC, in close collaboration with UCLG, GCM, and other partners, also held a webinar on Cities and Migration on 18 December 2020. The webinar was conducted under the framework of ASEAN Mayors Forum and organised in conjunction with International Migrants Day. UCLG ASPAC acknowledges the intensity of migration within the region and, through the webinar, has provided sharing space to unify perspective on how migration drives positive impact on city’s sustainable development. CLICK TO READ
