With more international migrants in the world today than at any point in history, every country hosts some form of a migrant population. At the same time, no country is immune to conflicts or natural disasters. When such crises erupt, migrant populations that are present in the country experiencing a crisis can fall through the cracks of emergency and post-crisis responses.

The governments of the United States and the Philippines launched the MICIC Initiative in 2014 to address this gap. The co-chairs are supported by a Working Group composed of Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), and the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration. IOM serves as the Secretariat for the MICIC Initiative.

Following a broad, inclusive consultation process with States, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector, the co-chairs and Working Group will launch the Guidelines on 15 June 2016 in New York. The Guidelines will be available to view and download from 10 June 2016 on the MICIC Initiative website.   

The Guidelines provide practical, non-binding, voluntary guidance for States, private sector actors, international organizations, and civil society to protect migrants caught in countries experiencing conflicts or natural disasters at the preparedness, emergency, and post-crisis phases. The Guidelines can be used to plan, prepare, and improve responses for the benefit of migrants, their families, and societies. They are intended to be a useful reference for actors to implement or adapt to the dynamics of a crisis at hand.

Speakers:

• Anne Richard, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, USA
• Imelda M. Nicolas, Secretary, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Office of the President of the Philippines
• Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration

Please kindly confirm your attendance to the MICIC Secretariat – micicsecretariat@iom.int – by 7 June 2016.   You may also contact the Secretariat at this address for any questions you may have.