I will post brief first impressions after each GFMD Civil Society day – here comes Day 1: After a very fitting opening at the Brandenburg Gate on the evening before (Day 0, so to speak, see picture), the GFMD Civil Society Days went to work quickly on Thursday. Some disappointment was voiced over the opening ceremony speeches; without being unfair to the German representatives, but do we really need to be told again how many migrants are there worldwide and how high the amount of remittances is in relation to development aid? The Davos style panel debates that followed provided Continue reading
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The GFMD 2017 Civil Society Days have just been opened in Berlin by the Chair Wies Maas (pictured) and Co-Chair Berenice Valdez Rivera. As in previous years, some of the sessions will be streamed live, you can find the video here: 
Aus Anlass des heute in Berlin begonnenen zehnten Global Forums on Migration and Development, hier die Links zu einigen deutschen Hintergrundpapieren, Interviews und Themenportalen:
While the GFMD government meeting will start tomorrow, migrant organisations will gather for two events at the Brandenburg gate – one of them taking place in the morning of Wednesday 28 June, a second one in the evening. The first one is organized by the International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA) and Migrante Europe, the second one a “Prelude” to the GFMD Civil Society Days. This is the planned program: 
Things have changed… Not only will the Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA) for the first time take place after the GFMD – unlike previous meetings, there will also be no (guaranteed) opportunity for on-site registration. Today thus marks the final deadline for online registration for the event that will be held under the theme of “Power, People, Community: Building A Migrants Rights Movement” from 3-4 July at the conference facilities of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Berlin. You can register here: 
On June 16 2011, the ILO adopted Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers and its accompanying Recommendation 201. By now 24 countries have ratified the convention – 2 up from last year – , and a total of 70 countries have taken measures to adopt or reform law and policy. Still according to the ILO, 60 out of the estimated 67.1 million domestic workers do not enjoy effective social protections. Around 11.5 million are migrants and migrants’ rights organizations are particularly active in advocacy and celebrations on International Domestic Workers Day: 
