FAO statement at International Migration Review Forum 2022 – Roundtable 4

International Migration Review Forum 2022

Roundtable 4 (GCM Objectives 1, 3, 7, 17, 23)

Statement by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), delivered by

Lucas Tavares, FAO Senior Liaison Officer, FAO Liaison Office with the UN in New York

As prepared for delivery

Esteemed Co-chairs, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, 

FAO is honoured to be here today to speak about the crucial importance of addressing the Global Compact for Migration Objectives, and in particular, objectives 1, 7 and 17, in the context of fighting global hunger, food insecurity and strengthening the resilience and agricultural livelihoods of vulnerable migrant populations.

Evidence and disaggregated data matters, and the absence of it can have serious consequences for the lives of the most vulnerable migrant populations, particularly those living in or fleeing countries in crisis. 

Without comprehensive, disaggregated data to understand the needs and vulnerabilities of migrant populations in rural areas, and ensuring this informs our response, we risk overlooking the most vulnerable, and inadvertently excluding these populations in the fight against hunger and food insecurity. 

As, understandably, significant attention is being placed on the urbanization of migration and migrants in urban areas, we must also ensure that migrants in rural areas are not left behind. 

We know migrants from, and living in rural areas in countries in crisis, are particularly vulnerable to hunger, food insecurity and the destruction of critical agricultural livelihoods in times of crisis. And while we are making progress, we all need to do better in understanding the needs, perspectives and vulnerabilities of those migrants and displaced populations living in, or moving from rural areas. 

Globally, FAO is committed to working with member states and partners to strengthen collection, analysis and dissemination of disaggregated data and evidence, which promotes a greater understanding of the rural dimensions of hunger and food insecurity, its particular impacts on migrants and displaced populations, and importantly, applying this understanding to concrete actions to reduce rural migrant vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, FAO is committed to ensuring rural migrant voices, particularly the voices of the most vulnerable not only go to the heart of our approaches to data and evidence generation, but are also equal partners in analysis, the building of crisis responses and are driving recovery.

For FAO, the strengthening of such approaches is critical to understanding and reducing key vulnerabilities of migrants globally, eliminating discrimination and exclusion and ensuring no one is left behind in the global fight against hunger and food insecurity.