Greetings from Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA). We are writing to send you updates on the Global Compact for Migration. Please find below the most recent updates on the Global Compact.

As we have previously informed, a series of six informal thematic sessions on facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration are currently being organized to gather substantive input and concrete recommendations to inform the development of the global compact on migration. We are sharing as attachment the issue briefs for the
last 2 thematic consultations:

• Theme 5: Smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons and contemporary forms of slavery, including appropriate identification, protection and assistance to migrants and trafficking victims, Vienna International Centre, Plenary Room, Vienna, 4-5 September 2017.  For more information please see: https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/smuggling-and-trafficking-migrants
• Theme 6: Irregular migration and regular pathways, including decent work, labour mobility, recognition of skills and qualifications and other relevant measures, Palais des Nations, Room XIX, Geneva, 12-13 October 2017. For more information please see: https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/labour-mobility

The office of the UN Secretary General has also released the proposed organization of work of the intergovernmental conference to adopt a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. The
Conference will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York  immediately prior to the opening of the general debate of the seventy third session of the General Assembly, from 16 to 17 September 2018. Please find attached the document for your reference.

We are also sharing with you the input of the Committee on Migrant Workers to the UN Secretary-General’s Secretary-General on international migration’s report. The input focuses on the following themes:

• Border management
• Labour exploitation and other forms of ill-treatment
• Due process and detention
• Labour rights
• Access to health care and education
• Birth registration
• Returns
• International cooperation and irregular migration
• Trafficking and smuggling

We are also sharing with you the document prepared by UN Women on Recommendations for addressing women’s human rights in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. The document is the outcome of a meeting hosted by UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 21 and 22 November 2016 in Geneva and the follow up discussions organized by UN Women in January 2017.The document focuses on the following themes:

• Improving migrant women’s access to migration pathways that promote empowerment and protect rights
• Women’s human rights through all stages of migration
• Migrant women and girls’ access to human rights-based, gender-responsive services
• Migrant women’s labour rights, access to decent work and social protection

Thank you and we will continue to update you on the progress of the Global Compact for Migration in our next circular.

The MFA Secretariat