EU, IOM Nepal to launch project on mainstreaming migration into development

The European Union (EU) in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is launching a project on Mainstreaming Migration into International Cooperation and Development (MMICD) this week. The initiative is part of a follow-up of the previous assessment that found there was a need for improved coherence between migration, sustainable development, education and rural development.
Under the project, which is also being implemented in Ecuador and Madagascar, IOM will work with partners in Nepal to integrate migration into development planning, with a focus on education and rural development. Assessments and trainings to identify links between different policy areas will be conducted in consultation with stakeholders to develop a roadmap for further action, reads a press note issued by the IOM Office in Nepal today.
Piloting the project in Nepal is timely as the 'decade of action' to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is approaching. Nepal is also preparing for its Voluntary National Review (VNR) in July 2020, which will examine progress made toward the SDGs at the national and sub-national levels, according to the press note.
The EU-financed assessment earlier recommended that Nepal upgrade its data on internal and international migration, strengthen coordination between existing migration measures and new policies in different sectors, and update its migration policies to reflect the complex relationship between migration and sustainable development.
Deputy head of the EU Delegation to Nepal Eloisa Astudillo Fernandez highlighted the value of integrating migration into development sectors. “It's a two-way relationship between sustainable development and migration as it can both benefit migrants and transit communities, but at the same time it brings many risks,” the press note quoted Fernandez as saying. “Therefore, it is important to manage the whole process of migration in a way that gives as many benefits as possible while also mitigating the risks.”
“For the project, we have identified nine sectors that are impacted by migration,” he said, adding that the IOM has – in Nepal – chosen to focus on the rural development and education sectors. “The idea is to integrate the concept of migration within those sectors, as they have a strong impact on the outflow of migrants from Nepal.”

Accelerating action for the SDGs and building resilience in Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is gaining speed in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) planning and primed for transformative change. Yet more needs to be done to pick up the pace, according to a recent report that has revealed that on its current trajectory, Asia and the Pacific will not achieve any of the 17 SDGs by 2030.
How can we work together to take urgent action in addressing sustainable development challenges, How can we empower societies and build resilience to, among others, the increasing impacts of climate change and natural disasters are some of the key questions that the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will address at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2019 in New York this month.
Themed ‘Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality’, this year’s HLPF also aims at mobilising efforts to achieve SDG4: Quality Education, SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG13: Climate Action, SDG16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals.
In addition to bringing the outcome of regional level deliberations to the global platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ESCAP will hold a series of side events and other activities in collaboration with member states and various partners. UN under-secretary-general and executive secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana will be leading the ESCAP delegation.
Some 16 Asia-Pacific countries – including Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Vanuatu – will also be conducting voluntary national reviews (VNR) on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at HLPF 2019.
ESCAP has provided capacity building support to volunteering countries, as well as a regional exchange of peer experiences and lessons learned at the 6th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD).