22 November 2017, Geneva - At its Fourth meeting of the Troika, Steering Group and Friends of the Forum in Geneva, the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) granted an observer status to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

FAO Director José Graziano da Silva requested the observer status earlier in September to enable FAO to participate in the Forum and further promote dialogue and awareness on the linkages between migration, agriculture and rural development.

The GFMD – FAO collaboration is a triple win that will benefit GFMD members, FAO work, and migrant themselves. It is important to recall that:

-          The majority of migrants originate from rural areas and move internally.

-          Over half of the population in least developed countries will still be living in rural areas in 2050.

-          Three-quarters of the extreme poor worldwide base their livelihood on agriculture.

Therefore, investing in agriculture and rural development must be an integral art of the solution to the global migration challenge: it can address some of the root causes of migration.

Migration is intimately linked with FAO’s global goals, and it is an increasing area of work for the Organization. It pays particular attention to both internal and international movements and to mixed flows, at the intersection between forced and voluntary migration. In recognition of its increased involvement in migration issues, FAO has been appointed Co-chair of the Global Migration Group (GMG) together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) from 2018.