10 March 2016: The co-facilitators for the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) plenary to address the large movements of refugees and migrants have circulated a non-paper on modalities for the meeting. Dina Kawar, Permanent Representative of Jordan, and David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland, prepared the elements for decision following informal consultations with UN Member States on 2 March 2016, in New York, US.

The core elements for a decision on modalities address participants, dialogue, and outcome. On participants, the non-paper suggests that they could include Member States at the level of Head of State or Government, heads of UN funds and programmes and UN specialized agencies, heads of the Bretton Woods institutions, heads of UN regional commissions, and of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and representatives of parliaments, civil society organizations, the private sector and academia. The draft notes that arrangements will be required to enable stakeholders to contribute to preparations for the meeting and to the meeting itself. The UNGA President could be asked to consider hosting a day of informal preparatory consultations with stakeholders some months in advance of the meeting, the document notes.

On format, the co-facilitators suggest that a plenary session run throughout the day, with at least four roundtables running in parallel to the plenary session. The roundtables would allow consideration of common issues related to refugees and migrants, as well as separate issues related specifically to each group.

On outcome, the text says the meeting could result in an outcome document agreed by Member States, with assistance from the co-facilitators and informed by the forthcoming report of the UN Secretary-General on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants.

Member States will provide feedback to the non-paper’s elements in an informal meeting on 18 March 2016. Themes for the possible roundtables will also be discussed.

Following the meeting, the co-facilitators intend to prepare a UNGA draft decision on the organizational modalities. The high-level meeting will take place on 19 September 2016, immediately prior to the 71st General Debate, in New York, US.

The UNGA decided to convene the high-level meeting in December 2015, also requesting the Secretary-General to prepare a report and recommendations on the issue by May 2016. Karen AbuZayd, Special Adviser, has been appointed to work with UN entities and consult with Member States and others in the lead-up to the HLM, as well as to oversee the report. [Non-paper on Modalities] [Appointment of Co-Facilitators]