Consultations for Refugee and Migrant High-level Meeting to be led by Jordan and Ireland

David DonoghueThe President of the UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, has appointed Dina Kawar, Permanent Representative of Jordan, and David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland, as co-facilitators for the intergovernmental consultations leading to the UNGA's high-level meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants. David Donoghue co-facilitated the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, together with Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya.

The high-level plenary meeting will take place on 19 September 2016, immediately before the 71st General Debate and will be hosted by US President Barack Obama.

As Lykketoft says in his letter, (See: http://www.un.org/pga/70/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/08/9-Feb_Informal-consultations-on-Refugees-and-Migrants-HLM-9-February-2016.pdf) the co-facilitators will lead “open, transparent and inclusive consultations with Member States” to finalize the organizational arrangements for the summit, including on a possible outcome.

Karen AbuZaydThe UNGA took the decision to convene the high-level meeting in December 2015, requesting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to prepare a report and recommendations on the issue by May 2016. The Secretary-General has appointed Karen AbuZayd, USA, as his Special Adviser. She will work with UN entities and consult with Member States and others in the lead-up to the summit, as well as to oversee the report. 

For further information see http://sd.iisd.org/news/jordan-ireland-leading-consultations-for-refugee-and-migrant-hlm/