Lessons from the UNU Panel Series on Academic Thinking on Migration

Against the backdrop of six informal thematic consultations, linked to different aspects of the global compact, the United Nations University (UNU) Office at the United Nations in New York and the UNU Migration Network3 jointly convened the ‘UNU Panel Series on Academic Thinking on Migration’, with the generous support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
The series brought together leading researchers in the field of migration from around the world to discuss current scholarly thinking on several topics: the rise of nationalist politics and policy implications for migration; the linkages between climate change and migration, including forced migration and community relocations; inclusion of migrants and refugees in urban areas; protection of women’s rights, with a focus on women migrant workers; and emerging research on migration for development.
Experts in each panel offered recommendations for policy makers working towards a global compact on migration. In the next section of the executive summary, each of these panels and their recommendations are briefly summarized. In the following section, more detailed summaries of each panel and associated recommendations are offered.