35. We commit to empower migrants and diasporas to catalyse their development contributions, and to harness the benefits of migration as a source of sustainable development, reaffirming that migration is a multidimensional reality of major relevance to the sustainable development of countries of origin, transit and destination.

To realize this commitment, we will draw from the following actions: 

(a) Ensure the full and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda by fostering and facilitating the positive effects of migration for the realization of all Sustainable Development Goals;

(b) Integrate migration into development planning and sectoral policies at the local, national, regional and global levels, taking into consideration relevant existing policy guidelines and recommendations, such as the Global Migration Group’s Mainstreaming Migration into Development Planning: A Handbook for Policymakers and Practitioners, in order to strengthen policy coherence and effectiveness of development cooperation;

(c) Invest in research on the impact of non-financial contributions of migrants and diasporas to sustainable development in countries of origin and destination, such as knowledge and skills transfer, social and civic engagement, and cultural exchange, with a view to developing evidence-based policies and strengthening global policy discussions;

(d) Facilitate the contributions of migrants and diasporas to their countries of origin, including by establishing or strengthening government structures or mechanisms at all levels, such as dedicated diaspora offices or focal points, diaspora policy advisory boards for Governments to account for the potential of migrants and diasporas in migration and development policymaking, and dedicated diaspora focal points in diplomatic or consular missions;

(e) Develop targeted support programmes and financial products that facilitate migrant and diaspora investments and entrepreneurship, including by providing administrative and legal support in business creation and granting seed capital-matching, establish diaspora bonds, diaspora development funds and investment funds, and organize dedicated trade fairs;

(f) Provide easily accessible information and guidance, including through digital platforms, as well as tailored mechanisms for the coordinated and effective financial, voluntary or philanthropic engagement of migrants and diasporas, especially in humanitarian emergencies in their countries of origin, including by involving consular missions;

(g) Enable political participation and engagement of migrants in their countries of origin, including in peace and reconciliation processes, in elections and political reforms, such as by establishing voting registries for citizens abroad, and through parliamentary representation, in accordance with national legislation;

(h) Promote migration policies that optimize the benefits of diasporas for countries of origin and destination and their communities, by facilitating flexible modalities to travel, work and invest with minimal administrative burdens, including by reviewing and revising visa, residency and citizenship regulations, as appropriate;

(i) Cooperate with other States, the private sector and employers’ organizations to enable migrants and diasporas, especially those in highly technical fields and in high demand, to carry out some of their professional activities and engage in knowledge transfer in their home countries, without necessarily losing employment, residence status or earned social benefits;

(j) Build partnerships between local authorities, local communities, the private sector, diasporas, hometown associations and migrant organizations to promote knowledge and skills transfer between their countries of origin and their countries of destination, including by mapping the diasporas and their skills, as a means to maintain the link between diasporas and their country of origin.