There are over 280 million international migrants, in which 35.5 million are children; many in irregular and precarious situations, often without full enjoyment of the right to health or access to healthcare. These inequities have been accentuated further during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing the health needs of migrants responds to their right to health, ensures security for global public health, facilitates integration, and contributes to social and economic development. It represents an important investment because it promises benefits to both migrant and host populations. This has been encompassed in numerous international instruments, treaties and conventions, including the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals; the 2019 political declaration on Universal Health Coverage; the 2019 WHO Global Action Plan: Promoting the health of refugees and migrants 2019-2023; and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
Although promising changes have occurred on the ground in migration health policies and actions since the GCM’s adoption, many commitments were temporary and during the pandemic. Therefore, work is needed to make them permanent and to further advance the GCM and other political commitments. Organized on the margins of the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) that will occur from 17-20 May 2022 in New York, this 90-minute high-level webinar will bring together Member States and key stakeholders to discuss what we can do better to progress the global health and migration agendas beyond the IMRF and catalyze action. The event is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), Portugal, Thailand, Morocco, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) and the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM).

Objectives

  • Share promising practices and commitments at global and country levels in fostering cross-sector, complementary decision making that integrates health considerations across policies and services that determine the health of migrants.
  • Propose recommendations beyond the IMRF, especially the work of policymakers and practitioners.
  • Galvanize action to advance the GCM health-related commitments and other relevant policy developments.

Audience

The event is open to everyone but is particularly aimed at Member States and key international stakeholders.

Agenda

The event will take place on 19 May 2022 from 08:30 to 10:00 EDT / 14:30-16:00 CEST (time zone adjuster). A detailed agenda will follow.

Register here

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