IYF Participates in UN Youth Platform - Calls for Meaningful Youth Engagement in Migration Forums

IYF President, Julia BLOCHER with Dr. Sara Amar, IYF Representative in Morrocco
IYF President, Julia BLOCHER with Dr. Sara Amar, IYF Representative in Morrocco

(IYF - Marrakesh, 10 December): Ahead of the intergovernmental conference at which the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was overwhelmingly endorsed by UN member states, IYF President Ms. Julia Blocher and IYF Country Representative Dr. Sara Amar actively participated in a two-day Youth Forum to ensure youth engagement in this blueprint for international cooperation on migration. 

“Today, nearly 1 out of 3 migrants is under the age of 30. While all share the common aspiration of improving themselves and the situation of their families, many face risks and exploitative practices at different points in their experiences” noted Ms. Blocher. “Meaningful engagement of youth in migration policies and related human-centered development efforts is not just aspirational – it’s necessary to bring policy to practice.”

Co-organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth / Children and Youth International, and Save the Children, the ‘Road to Marrakech’ Youth Forum was held on 8-9 December Marrakech, Morocco. The forum was timed for maximum impact, during the Migration Week at which both the intergovernmental conference for the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and the annual Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) were held. The Youth Forum aimed to guide youth engagement in these meetings, particularly with regards to the implementation, follow-up, and review (iFUR) process of the GCM.

“As a country at the crossroads of many different migration experiences, Morocco is a perfect place to host Migration Week,” noted IYF Country Representative, Dr. Sara Amar. “Moroccan youth stand ready to be among those driving the fair implementation of the GCM, for the health and human development of our communities.”

Attending the conference, IYF President Blocher – who is a recognized scholar on the linkages between climate change and migration – underlined the importance of migration as a possible means to adapt to environmental changes, as well as to build community resilience in the face of climate change impacts. “In the right circumstances and policy environment, migration can be a triple-win scenario: for the migrant themselves, for their home community, and for their destination community,” said Ms. Blocher. “I must commend the UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY) for organizing a forum at which both the positive role of migration for youth development and the challenges to delivering on this potential received balanced emphasis.” 

For more on the Youth Forum, visit the UNGCY’s website.

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