Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) in collaboration with the National Network on Safe Migration (NNSM) organized the Nepal Civil Society Consultation on the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) on 22 May 2019 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The GCM was adopted in 2018, marking a milestone in international migration governance. MFA and its partners have been at the forefront of the civil society movement regarding the GCM, engaging at the grass-root to the ministerial level in bringing about rights-based change and advocacy in their respective countries.

The consultation is the second CSO consultation held in Nepal with the first consultation held in July 2018. The second GCM consultation had the following objectives:

• Identify the national focus areas of different government agencies and civil societies working on migration vis a vis the 23 objectives of the GCM;
• Review the matrix of national focus areas together with all stakeholders and actors in the meeting; and
• Develop a follow up strategy plan in terms of the implementation of the national focus areas.

The participants focused on 6 themes as prioritized issues, drawn from 23 objectives of GCM
1. Recruitment Reform (Objective 6)
2. Decent work (Objective 7)
3. Access to Justice (Objective 15)
4. Skills (Objective 18)
5. Reintegration (Objectives 20, 21)
6. Global Cooperation (Objective 23)

During the consultation participants agreed upon continuous dialogue and cross-collaboration regarding national focus areas: This includes efforts at design, implementation and coordination so that one or two organisations are not at the forefront and all Nepali CSO’s on labour migration are presented as a united front to government institutions. While Nepal has the benefit of having an network such as NNSM as compared to other countries in the SAARC region, the complete harnessing of the network’s capabilities are to be thoroughly focused upon with the aim of GCM-specified goals.

After the discussion and approval of suggestions within the matrix, NNSM agreed to meet and follow up to further approve these ideas and to refine the strategy plan for the implementation of focus areas.

For more information please contact William Gois of the MFA Secretariat at: mfa@mfasia.org