UN Migration and Refugee Compacts
Background
Local and regional governments (LRGs) have been actively involved in the negotiations of the Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) as well as in the process to draft the Compact on Refugees (GCR), both adopted in 2018. Both frameworks firmly recognise the key role of LRGs in their implementation and review.
That same year, LRGs endorsed the Marrakech Mayors Declaration, a political commitment to implement both Compacts in unison and a call for continued recognition of local governments as key partners in their implementation and review. Through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees - launched in 2022 - LRGs can pledge to implement the Marrakech Declaration and translate global frameworks into concrete local action.
LRGs are now actively engaged in the different activities organised by the UN Network on Migration and UNHCR, which both provide guidance to Member States and other stakeholders to support the implementation of the GCM and GCR.
The 2026 International Migration Review Forum
From 4 - 8 May 2026, Member States gathered in New York for the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF). The IMRF is the United Nations’ principal platform to review progress on the Migration Compact (GCM).
14 local and regional government (LRGs) delegates joined Member States and other stakeholders to demonstrate how global migration commitments are being translated into concrete local action.
At the Coalition’s official side event, LRGs formally handed over 57 new pledges through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees, bringing the total number of commitments since 2022 to 181 pledges benefiting an estimated 240 million residents worldwide.
Read more here.
The 2025 Global Refugee Forum - Progress Review
From 15 to 17 December 2025, United Nations Member States and stakeholders joined the GRF Progress Review to assess progress in implementing GRF pledges.
9 local and regional governments joined to showcase how they turn global refugee commitments into tangible local outcomes.
They also joined the side-event called “Cities Turning GCR Commitments into Local Impact”, launching the flagship 2025 Call to Local Action Report, “Delivering Results: Local and Regional Governments Advancing the UN Migration and Refugee Compacts”, the first consolidated stocktaking of local pledges made through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees.
Read more here.
The 2023 Global Refugee Forum
The second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) took place from 13– 15 December 2023 in Geneva. It is the quadrennial forum to discuss progress towards the implementation of the UN Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). It was hosted by UNHCR and the Government of Switzerland.
Local and regional governments (LRGs) had unprecedented access and delivered over 100 refugee-specific pledges collected through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees.
For the first time ever, LRGs also had their own political space within the agenda of the GRF through a ‘Local and Regional Governments Day’.
Read our press release here.
The 2022 IMRF and Launch of the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees
From 16-20 May 2022, United Nations Member States and stakeholders joined together for the first-ever International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) to assess progress toward the GCM.
While local governments were largely excluded from the 2018 conference to adopt the GCM, at the 2022 IMRF, a delegation of 18 cities joined Member States in New York, and delivered the largest number of pledges to advance the GCM and GCR in unison through our Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees.
Read our IMRF report here.
Further Information
UN Migration and Refugee Compact: Resources