QC to host Third Global Mayoral Forum on September

• Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/231472005432/qc-to-host-third-global-mayoral-forum-on-september
• Sunday, August 28, 2016

(QC PAISO/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY (PIA)—The Quezon City government is set to host the Third Global Mayoral Forum on Humanity Mobility, Migration and Development which will take place from September 29-30, 2016.

About 60 mayors, other officials of local governments and experts from international organizations are expected to attend the conference. Mayoral representation has been confirmed from cities in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia.

The conference will follow through on the commitments and action plans made during the previous Mayoral Forums in Quito (2015) and Barcelona (2014).

Under the Quito Local Agenda Action 6 – Promoting Economic Development and Human Prosperity, it is acknowledged that migrants contribute positively to the development of cities and major metropolitan areas worldwide. The diversity created by human mobility is an asset in making cities richer and more competitive spaces with greater prosperity (Mayoral Forum 2014, Barcelona Declaration). Migrants are agents of development and social transformation both in origin and destination countries.

Expected speakers at the sessions are Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN Habitat III; Surabaya Deputy Mayor Mr. Wishnu Sakti Buana; Dr. Sonia Plaza, Senior Economist of the World Bank and Chair KNOMAD Working Group on Diaspora; Mr. Magdy Martínez-Solimán, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP; and Dr. Colleen Thouez, Senior Advisor, UNITAR and Advisor to the UN SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary General).

The conference will also work towards strengthening the role of local administrators in building data bases on migrants, as well as in mapping and creating lists of diaspora with specific skills and expertise (such as legal skills, contractual negotiations, cross-cultural communication, etc.)

Partners in the initiative are the Commission on Overseas Filipinos, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Bank, the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).