Press Release: Cities Bring over 50 New Pledges to 2026 UN Migration Forum

Local leaders advance practical solutions amid global polarization on migration

New York, 5 May 2026.

At the opening of the UN International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), a delegation of mayors and local leaders from 14 cities and regions joins Member States and international partners to assess progress on the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

At the IMRF, cities and regions will deliver over 50 new local pledges through the Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees, bringing the total to 181 local commitments since 2022. Together, these pledges reach over 240 million residents and mobilize USD 90 million in funding. These results are detailed in the third Report on Local Action for Migrants and Refugees (2026), released today.

Launched at the first IMRF in 2022, the Call to Local Action has become a critical pathway for local governments to advance action aligned with the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.

The new pledges come amid growing political polarization around migration and a decline in global funding. While progress at the national level remains uneven, cities continue to advance practical solutions—from service delivery, to combatting discrimination and connecting migrants and refugees to jobs.

The pledges will be presented at a high-level IMRF side event on Friday, May 8, at the UN Headquarters, bringing together city leaders, national governments, and UN partners to demonstrate impact and identify ways to strengthen cooperation and scale implementation.

The full overview of the local government delegation, as well as specific programming at the 2026 IMRF, is available here. 

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