Global Joint Programme on Mainstreaming Migration into National Development Strategies - Second Phase

Project Duration: 1 February 2014 - 31 January 2018

Project Partners: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Donors: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

Background: The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNDP and IOM in 2011 launched a two year pilot project on Mainstreaming Migration into National Development Strategies in four countries: Bangladesh, Jamaica, Moldova, and Tunisia. Since 2011, the project has: 1) strengthened the capacity of governments in pilot countries to address migration and development (M&D) linkages in their development strategies, 2) provided guidance for UN Country Teams (UNCTs) to advise and support governments and their partners on M&D issues; 3) shared experiences from the pilot countries with the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) process. Based on the insights and achievements of the pilot project and a growing interest among the GFMD participating governments, a second phase of the project is being implemented as a global Joint Programme of IOM and UNDP in Bangladesh, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan Moldova, Morocco, Serbia and Tunisia.

Objectives of the Joint Programme: The Joint Programme’s objectives include national and global levels, stressing the inter-connectedness between the two and the need for mutually reinforcing actions at both levels. The overarching programme objectives are: 1) To enable countries to integrate migration into their national development planning documents and policies and to continually monitor and adjust their approached to M&D 2)To foster an active and mutually beneficial partnership among countries on M&D, and migration mainstreaming in particular.

Planned activities in Serbia:

  • Strengthening evidence base for M&D policy development, including through expanding National Migration Profile; obtaining new knowledge on internal and external migration, demographic and labour market effects on internal migration, development impact of diaspora in Serbia; as well as on academic curricula.
  • Identifying and implementing national M&D priorities by mainstreaming M&D in the strategic documents/policies under revision, as well as strengthening capacities of the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of Serbia (CRS) in tracking migration and of Migrant Service Centers for future work in the area of labour migration.
  • Ensuring institutional coherence and greater coordination among government institutions through M&D training to core government institutions and practitioners at local level institutions.
  • Supporting the inclusion of M&D linkages into UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

Project Status: Completed

Project Area: Migration and Development