Post-IMRF 2026 National Stakeholder Forum

Human mobility continues to shape social, economic, political, and cultural realities across the globe. As migration increasingly intersects with issues of development, labour mobility, climate change, regional integration, human rights, and security, the need for collaborative and evidence-based migration governance has become more important than ever.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), adopted by Member States of the United Nations in 2018, remains the most comprehensive international framework for managing migration in a cooperative and human-centred manner. To monitor progress made under the Compact, Member States established the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) as the principal intergovernmental platform for reviewing implementation of the GCM and identifying future priorities.

The Second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) was convened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5–8 May 2026 under the auspices of the President of the United Nations General Assembly. The Forum brought together governments, international organizations, academia, civil society, migrant-led organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders to assess progress made in implementing the 23 objectives of the GCM and to chart the way forward for the next four years.

Ghana participated actively in the Forum through a multi-stakeholder delegation comprising representatives from government institutions, development partners, academia, civil society organizations, and migration practitioners. On Friday May 8^th Ghana under the ministry of Local Government co-hosted a side event with the coalition of migrants and refugees on institutionalising local government leadership in GCM implementation which aimed to demonstrate the impact of local government pledges.

While global forums provide valuable opportunities for learning and exchange, their impact is ultimately determined by how effectively lessons, experiences, and emerging best practices are translated into national policies, programmes, and institutional reforms.

It is against this background that with the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations on Migration in Ghana, (CCMG), The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), and GIZ propose a two-day Post-IMRF National Stakeholder Forum to facilitate reflection, learning, and dialogue among migration stakeholders in Ghana.

The Forum seeks to:

• Share key outcomes, recommendations, and emerging priorities from IMRF 2026.
• Document lessons learned and best practices presented by Member States and stakeholders during the Forum.
• Identify innovative approaches to migration governance that can be adapted to the Ghanaian context.
• Strengthen collaboration among government institutions, development partners, academia, civil society organizations, and migrant communities.
• Develop actionable recommendations to inform migration-related programming, policy reviews, and implementation efforts.
• Explore opportunities for strengthening labour mobility, diaspora engagement, return and reintegration, migration data systems, and border governance.
• Promote a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to migration governance.