The Mayoral Forum on Human Mobility, Migration and Development ("Mayoral Forum") is the annual City-led dialogue on migration and development, supported by local, regional and international partners. Launched at the UN General Assembly's Second High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development (HLD) in 2013, it provides an incubating space where local leaders can share practical and inventive solutions for governing migration, protecting rights and promoting inclusive urban economic growth.
The Mayoral Forum offers an opportunity to explore how good practices can be replicated in other cities, and to identify the resources required for implementation. What is more, the Mayoral Forum acts as a bridge, opening access for cities and regional governments to policy circles where they can inform, and be informed by, national and international policy-making. In so doing, it fosters local adaptation and implementation of common principles, based on international standards.
The Forum has continued to attract partners and support and the latest edition was co-organised by the Open Society Foundation (OSF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD) of the World Bank, the UN Institute for Training and with financial contributions from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the KNOMAD-World Bank, and its hosting cities.
The Third Global Mayoral Forum took place in Quezon City, Philippines from September 29-30, 2016 and gathered 119 Mayors, City Representatives and members of International Organisations from 26 different countries. The focus of this Forum was two pronged, looking at: a) the role of diaspora in furthering development in communities of origin and destination; and b) the inclusion and protection of migrants and refugees in vulnerable situations within urban centres.
The First Global Mayoral Forum took place in Barcelona, Spain from June 19-20, 2014 and gathered 30 Mayors and City Representatives.