The Global Cities Hub calls for LRG inclusion at 2026 IMRF briefing

On 3 February, the Global Cities Hub (GCH) took part in the first briefing convened by International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope on preparations for the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).

In cooperation with the Local Coalition for Migrants and Refugees, GCH intervened to recall the importance of ensuring that the IMRF provides dedicated space for local and regional governments (LRGs) to participate and contribute. This includes their engagement in the “Progress Declaration”, which will be negotiated by Member States in the coming months and will constitute the principal outcome of the second IMRF.

The IMRF serves as the primary intergovernmental global platform for States to discuss and share progress on the implementation of all aspects of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). Convened every four years, the second IMRF will take place in New York from 5–8 May 2026 and will be chaired by the President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock. The Forum will be preceded by a one-day informal interactive multi-stakeholder hearing on 4 May.

During the IMRF, States will present their voluntary GCM reviews and pledges. The programme will include four roundtables covering the 23 objectives of the GCM, as well as policy debates. Concept notes are expected to be shared in the coming weeks.

Migration is a cross-cutting phenomenon managed at all levels of government, and the IMRF also provides space for other stakeholders to contribute to the global migration dialogue. LRGs stand at the frontline of managing the impact of migration: they host, support, care for and foster the inclusion of migrants in their communities, thereby upholding their rights and dignity. While LRGs are key implementers of the GCM (they represented the second-largest group of pledging actors after States in 2022), they do not hold formal status within the IMRF.

This institutional gap has been acknowledged by IOM, which has committed to “square that circle.” Director General Pope also enthusiastically recognized the crucial role of LRGs and encouraged States to include them in their national delegations to the IMRF, as was done in 2022 by Belgium, Ghana, South Africa, Portugal and Canada. IOM further highlighted that the four roundtables, as well as policy debates and side events, will offer multi-stakeholder spaces in which LRGs can engage.

The briefing also featured encouraging references from several States to strengthened multi-level governance approaches: South Sudan underscored the importance of a whole-of-government approach to migration; Colombia highlighted the need to consult local authorities; and the Philippines stressed the value of including them in national delegations. GCH will remain closely engaged in the preparations for the second IMRF, in continued collaboration with the Local Coalition for Migrants and Refugees.