I attended as a guest and speaker at the XV Summit, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which took place in Riohacha (La Guajira), Colombia. The event was inaugurated by Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy and Gustavo Petro Urrego, President of the Republic of Colombia.
These were days filled with debates and proposals on migration and development across different expert panels, round tables and side events, featuring an extensive programme that included 6 expert panels, 21 side events, 6 round tables and 5 dialogues.
At our inter-parliamentary table, we signed a manifesto: Parliamentarians for Migratory Justice. The debate brought together parliamentarians from Colombia, Chile, Peru, France and Spain, alongside the Governor and Mayor of Maicao. The activities took place within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Multilateral Dialogue of the Forum, led by Colombian diaspora MP Karmen Ramírez Toscano and her technical team, coordinated by Malka Orozco, with the following programme:
Monday, 1 September – Reception at the airport – Lunch with MP Karmen Ramírez – Accreditation and credentials handover Tuesday, 2 September – Inaugural event – Lunch with the Mayor’s Office of Maicao, the Ministry of Housing and invited international parliamentarians – Installation of the Committee of the “Barrio de Paz La Pista”, the largest migrant and refugee settlement in Latin America, in Maicao, La Guajira, Colombia – Welcome cocktail hosted by the Government of La Guajira Wednesday, 3 September – Panel participant in the Inter-Parliamentary Multilateral Dialogue – Lunch with international guests of the Inter-Parliamentary Multilateral Dialogue and the Wayuú Women’s Force Thursday, 4 September – Closing session and conclusions of the Global Forum on Migration and Development
The XV Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit, like the opening session, was held at the Héctor Salah Zuleta Library, with a total of 1,500 participants, including: 71 States, 118 representatives of civil society, 32 representatives of the mayors’ mechanism, 29 members of the business mechanism, 90 NGO participants, 300 official Colombian delegates, as well as media representatives. Together, they debated and reflected on key issues for the future of migration and development. The Forum highlighted the importance of co-designing new labour mobility pathways between countries of origin and destination, particularly in strategic sectors such as healthcare, care work and clean energy, ensuring fair working conditions and promoting a rights-based, gender-sensitive and development-oriented approach.
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the Forum’s main conclusions included: International cooperation is key to addressing migratory challenges and fostering development. The voices of civil society, the diaspora and local communities must be central to decision-making. Youth and care work were recognised as drivers of change and dignity. Migration is not a problem, but rather an opportunity for innovation and the construction of a new humanity.
After France (Europe) and this year in Colombia (Latin America), the XVI Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit is scheduled to take place in Africa in 2027. I sincerely hope that African leaders, together with NGOs, governments, civil society, trade unions, youth and volunteers in attendance, will seize this opportunity to redefine migratory flows in line with respect for democratic values and human rights, through legal, orderly and safe migration. This would help to channel remittances and migrant funds towards generating a positive impact on the economies of countries of origin.