United Nations Intergovernmental Conference
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration
Marrakech, Morocco, 10 December 2018
‘Promoting action on the commitments of the Global Compact for Migration’ African Foundation for Development (AFFORD)
The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) was founded in the United Kingdom in 1994, with the mission to expand and enhance the role of the diaspora in Africa’s development. Amongst other things, AFFORD undertakes job creation, enterprise development and diaspora investment programmes in Africa. AFFORD aligns itself to the civil society statement on the Global Compact for Migration.
It is acknowledged that to a great extent, the actions in the GCM are already being implemented by different stakeholders. However, expanded, intensified, new and innovative endeavours are needed. These can be stimulated and promoted by ensuring that general monitoring and the Progress Declaration of the four-yearly International Migration Review Forum reports specifically on the extent to which the diverse direct and indirect migration stakeholders have gained a Migration Dividend; Migration Dividend being the surplus of financial, economic, social, political, and other human development benefits over and above the costs and inputs associated with migration. Such an approach also offers opportunities for more substantive input in GCM from business and academia.
Structured diaspora investment products in Africa can be enhanced by development partners supporting and underwriting the smaller-scale, project-based diaspora bonds devised by diaspora professionals, to fund job creation, community facilities and local regeneration programmes. Similarly, there is need for governments, institutional and philanthropic partners to invest substantially in diaspora enterprise and impact funds that finance social enterprises and fast-growth ventures through debt, equity and grant finance, whist providing accompanying relational business support and capacity development. These diaspora investment actions provide sustainable livelihoods and improved quality of life, especially to the young, thereby minimising the risk of human capital wastage and, irregular and dysfunctional migration.
AFFORD expresses its thanks for the continuing and improving cooperation from the United Nations and Member States.
Ms Stella Opoku-Owusu, Deputy Executive Director
Editors notes
- Joint Civil Society Statement 2018
- Full Agreed-Outcome and 23 objectives_Global-Compact-for-Migration.pdf
- Article – Delivering and demonstrating migration dividend through the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration by Gibril Faal, AFFORD
- On 13 July 2018 UN Member States finalized the text for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was held on 10 – 11 December in Marrakech, Morocco.
- On 6th December 2018 as part of the Eleventh Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) Civil Society Days AFFORD organised a side event Unlocking diaspora finance: a case study.
- As part of the GFMD Civil Society Days AFFORD contributed to the MADE West Africa Side Event on 6th December; The ADEPT Diaspora Development Dialogue (DDD10), the 5th Mayoral Forum on Human Mobility, Migration and Development and the International Organisation for Migration & AU event on 8th and 9th December.
For enquires contact the AFFORD Communications Team on 020 3326 3750