International Forum on Migration Statistics 2020
Cairo, Egypt
Overview
The International Forum on Migration Statistics (IFMS) is a unique global platform devoted to improving data on migration in all its dimensions. The first meeting of the IFMS, organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in Paris, France, from 15 to 16 January 2018, featured 240 speakers and over 350 participants from 90 countries, representing national statistical offices, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and academia.
Improving data is crucial for the implementation of the migration-related dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). The IFMS offers a unique space for global dialogue, information-sharing and networking for a broad range of actors from national and regional authorities, NGOs, international agencies and the private sector, with the aim of building and strengthening migration data capacities around the world. With the public discourse on migration increasingly being influenced by myths and misperceptions, the IFMS contributes to more informed and evidence-based public discourse and policy making.
The Forum is expected to foster an informal global migration data network, aimed at promoting exchanges of information between a broad range of stakeholders. This could include online mechanisms to facilitate the sharing of innovative data practices.
The second edition of the IFMS will be hosted by the African Union (AU) and the Egyptian Government, which currently chairs the AU, from 20-21 January 2020 in Cairo, Egypt. The Forum will be supported by a Programme Committee of scientific experts, drawn from all major regions in the world, as well as a local organising committee to help with logistics.
Like the IFMS in 2018, IFMS 2020 will provide a place for sharing innovative approaches to filling data gaps in the measurement of migration and migration-related topics, such as local integration and development impacts. Given that migrants often face limited access to healthcare, education, justice, labour protections and other services, the IFMS 2020 will specifically address disaggregation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets by migratory status (SDG 17.16).
The 2020 Forum will focus on six themes:
- Strengthening data for policy
- Capacity development and financing
- Data collection and innovation
- Measuring progress on the SDGs and other global commitments
- Cooperation and data governance
- Improving availability of data on migrants in vulnerable situations
Organization of work
Sunday, 19 January 2020 | |
09.00 - 10.30 |
Opening plenary session Welcoming remarks Chair: H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented by H.E Ambassador Hamdi Saned Loza, Deputy Minister for African Affairs, Egypt Speakers:
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11.00 - 12.00 |
Keynote speech Why do we need better migration data? What are the main knowledge gaps on migration and how can data help address those gaps? Speaker:
Introduced by Mr. Frank Laczko, Director, IOM's Global Migration Data Analysis Centre
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15.00 - 16.30 |
Plenary session 1 Best practices on the production and use of migration data: regional and country perspectives Chair: Michele Klein Solomon, Director of Policy Hub, IOM Speakers:
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Monday, 20 January 2020 | |
09.00-10.30 |
Plenary session 2 Measuring progress on migration-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other global Chair: Ms. Francesca Grum, Chief, Social and Gender Statistics, UN DESA Speakers:
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14.30-16.00 |
Plenary session 3 Communicating Migration Data for Policy Chair: Ms. Dessislava Choumelova, Head of Unit, Demography, Migration and Governance, Joint Research Speakers:
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Tuesday, 21 January 2020 | |
09.00-10.30 |
Plenary session 4 Harnessing data innovation for migration research and policymaking Panel presentation followed by Q & A Chair: Mr. Jean-Christophe Dumont, Head of International Migration Division in the Directorate for Speakers:
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15.30-17.00 |
Closing plenary session Chair: Mr. Frank Laczko, Director, International Organization for Migration's Global Migration Data Analysis Centre Speakers:
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