Vietnam participates in the Second International Migration Review Forum.

- (MOFA) - The Second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) took place from May 5-8, 2026 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA, against the backdrop of international migration continuing to face many complex challenges, from gaps in migration governance and the lack of legal and safe migration channels to the rise of human trafficking networks, illegal migration, and new forms of exploitation in the digital environment.

Bộ Ngoại giao•24/05/2026

The IMRF Forum aims to review the implementation results of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM Agreement) since the first Forum in 2022, while also discussing opportunities and challenges for migration and identifying priorities for cooperation in the next phase. The Forum attracts participation from nearly 130 countries and many international organizations and stakeholders.

In her opening remarks at the Forum, Ms. Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, affirmed that migration is an inevitable reality of humanity that no single country can manage on its own. She emphasized the role of governments in ensuring that migration becomes a "win-win-win" model for migrants, countries of origin, and destination countries. The President of the UN General Assembly stated that the important thing is not to debate whether migration is "good or bad," but to manage it effectively by placing people at the center of migration agreements. She also encouraged member states to engage in frank and substantive discussions to incorporate the discussed issues into national policies, as well as bilateral and regional agreements.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that migration continues to make a vital contribution to economic growth, innovation, and social development, while expressing concern over the increasing number of human trafficking and deaths along migration routes in recent times, with approximately 200,000 victims and over 15,000 people killed or missing. Affirming that the GCM Agreement is a crucial framework for multilateral cooperation on migration, the UN Secretary-General outlined six priorities for action, focusing on protecting human rights, expanding legal migration options, and dismantling criminal networks involved in human trafficking and illegal migration, thereby ensuring that migration governance is “anchored with dignity, humanity, and human rights.”

Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Coordinator of the UN Migration Network, affirmed that trust among nations is key to maintaining multilateral cooperation and building a fair migration governance system. The IOM Director-General called on the international community to focus on four main objectives, particularly reducing deaths during migration journeys, dismantling human trafficking and illegal migration networks, and translating commitments into practical actions to ensure safe and legal migration journeys.

Speaking at the general discussion session, the Vietnamese representative, Deputy Director of the Consular Department Phan Thi Minh Giang, noted that the global migration situation continues to be complex; gaps in migration governance and the lack of legal migration channels are making migrants more vulnerable, while human trafficking and illegal migration are becoming increasingly sophisticated with new forms of exploitation related to digital technology and coercion into criminal activities at fraudulent centers. In this context, Vietnam affirmed that the GCM Agreement continues to be an important framework for promoting substantive dialogue and cooperation on migration, in line with the conditions and priorities of each country.

Affirming Vietnam's commitment to a "balanced, people-centered" approach in migration governance, Ms. Phan Thi Minh Giang stated that Vietnam is actively implementing the GCM Agreement Implementation Plan issued in 2020, notably in continuing to improve policies and laws, promoting legal and safe migration options through bilateral labor cooperation, fair recruitment, and reducing migration costs, while also accelerating digital transformation in migration management, including building a migration database to serve data-driven policy planning. The Vietnamese representative emphasized the need to expand legal and sustainable migration channels, strengthen cooperation along migration routes, and promote a victim-centered approach in preventing and combating human trafficking and irregular migration, while committing to working with partners to promote the implementation of the GCM Agreement.

The forum took place over four days, including roundtable discussions, policy discussions, and plenary sessions. More than 90 countries submitted voluntary reports reviewing the implementation of the GCM Agreement, an increase of approximately 30% compared to 2022.

Within the framework of the IMRF Forum, the Vietnamese delegation actively participated in the discussions, sharing Vietnam's efforts and achievements in implementing the GCM Agreement since the first IMRF Forum, and proposing areas for enhanced cooperation in the future. Vietnam also submitted a voluntary review report on the results of the GCM Agreement implementation.

After four days of work, the participating countries agreed to adopt a Progress Statement, which assesses the achievements, remaining difficulties and challenges, and identifies priorities for the next phase to promote safe, orderly, and people-centered migration governance. The third International Migration Review Forum will take place in 2030.

Source: https://mofa.gov.vn/tin-chi-tiet/chi-tiet/viet-nam-tham-du-dien-dan-ra-soat-di-cu-quoc-te-lan-thu-hai-59707-139.html