On 28 June 2017, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel will open the Tenth Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) at the Federal Foreign Office. The meeting is the highlight of the first of two years of Germany and Morocco’s co‑chairmanship of the GFMD. Over 700 participants are expected to attend.

Launched in 2007 as an initiative of the United Nations Member States, the GFMD is an informal, non‑binding, voluntary and government‑led process at global level in an international framework.

The motto of the summit is “Towards a Global Social Contract on Migration and Development”. The focus will be on a fair balancing of interests between migrants and their countries of origin, transit states and destinations within the framework of regular and orderly migration.

Foreign Minister Gabriel and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita will open the three‑day conference, which will be attended by representatives of some 140 countries, international organisations, civil society and the private sector. Other speakers at the opening event will include Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development; Louise Arbour, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for International Migration (SRSG); Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); William Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM); Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO); and David Malone, Rector of the United Nations University.

The co‑chairmanship with Morocco underlines Germany’s engagement in the field of migration and sustainable development, as well as the German Government’s interest in working closely with Morocco.

Germany has set the following priorities for the summit:

1. Work on an ambitious Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to be adopted in 2018, linking global standards on migration governance with recommendations on concrete goals and a review mechanism.

2. A fair balancing of interests between countries of origin and destination and migrants themselves. With its goal of a global social contract, Germany is a fair partner.

3. The contribution made by migration to sustainable economic development in the countries of origin and destination.

4. Implementation of Goal 10.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration.

You will find further information on the Global Forum on Migration and Development at http://www.gfmd.org/