GFMD ends in Dhaka, Germany and Morocco co-chairs next year

The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) has ended in Dhaka, with Germany and Morocco declared as co-chairs for the next year.

This will be for the first time since the formation of the GFMD in 2007 that two countries will co-chair the forum.
 
The symbolic handover of the chair on Monday, during the annual GFMD conference in Dhaka, to State Secretary Markus Ederer and the Moroccan State Secretary Nadir of the Ministry in Charge of Moroccans Living Abroad and Migration Affairs marked the commencement of the co-chairmanship.
 
They will formally take over the co-chairmanship on Jan 1.
 
Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, in his concluding remarks on Monday, thanked all for their contributions in making the ninth GFMD “an engaging and productive endeavour”. 
 
He also promised that Bangladesh would continue its work and extend its support as a troika member during the joint chairmanship of Germany and Morocco. 
 
“It is your success and achievement in making the migration voice of the GFMD much elevated and stronger– in particular, in the emerging debate on the Global Compact,” he said. 
 
“Dhaka has been enthralled by the presence of members of 130 countries, more than 200 members of international civil societies and representatives from 30 organisations”. 
 
The meeting began on Dec 8 with the first two days given over to civil society and the last three days to the government. 
 
The business-government-civil society dialogue was one of the important events of the meeting. 
 
“This has completed the migratory circle. We believe that governments - civil society - business will act in the true spirit of partnership to implement the Sustainable Development Goals relating to migration,” the foreign minister said.
  “Over the past days, we heard new promises as well as challenges of migration and mobility in the contemporary world. With the universal recognition of migration as an enabler, with its inevitability and its multi-dimensional nature, we have repeatedly heard a ‘call for action’.”
 
Next year, the focus of the GFMD will be on the contribution of GFMD to the UN’s Global Compact on Migration. 
 
The Compact is intended to herald a strong signal from the international community for an enhanced global migration policy to be adopted by the community of states in 2018.
 
In 2017, the motto of the GFMD will be "Towards a Global Social Contract on Migration and Development". 
 
“In particular, the balance of interests between migrants and their countries of origin, transit states and destinations will be addressed within the framework of regular and orderly migration, said a German embassy statement in Dhaka.
 
“In times of migration policy topics being on the political agenda around most of the world, Germany and Morocco, by means of their exemplary cooperation, will highlight the positive aspects and the need for orderly, safe and regular migration,” the embassy said in a statement. 
 
“The symbolic bridging of the Mediterranean and the close link between Europe and Africa send a strong signal for the further development of global migration objectives,” the embassy said.