Retreat on Migration Indicators for the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda
New York, 21 January 2014

During the 2013 General Assembly High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, Member States voiced a strong support for including migration into the post-2015 United Nations development agenda. The Declaration, adopted at the High-level Dialogue, recognizes that “… human mobility is a key factor for sustainable development which should be adequately considered in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda.” Moreover, the Declaration requests the United Nations system, the Global Migration Group and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on International Migration and Development “…to consider migration issues in their contributions to the preparatory process that will establish the post-2015 development agenda.”

The objective of the one-day retreat is to develop a set of indicators on international migration and development, which could be included into the implementation framework of the post-2015 United Nations development agenda. The focus of the retreat will be on formulating a limited set of indicators in migration and development that are technically sound, rather than on producing a comprehensive catalogue of indicators reflecting the priorities of each participating agency.

The main activity of the retreat is to conduct an in-depth analysis of potential indicators submitted by each organization. The group will vet each indicator against the SMART selection criteria:

• Specific
• Measurable (and also reliable, comparable and contextually appropriate)
• Achievable (and also cost effective)
• Relevant
• Time-bound (and also sensitive).

Each indicator will be assessed based on the purpose and usefulness of the indicator, conceptual underpinnings and methodologies associated with the indicator, including the underlying definitions, goal and targets, rationale, measurement methods, data collection, data availability and possible limitations and alternative definitions.

In assessing each indicator, participants will consider the feasibility of measuring the proposed indicator, its relevance to international migration, and the possibility for the indicator to be added to the proposed development framework as part of other, non-migration themes.

The retreat will build on guidance provided by the United Nations System Task Team on the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda, the report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons issued in May 2013, and the national and regional consultations facilitated by the United Nations Development Group. The results of the retreat seek to inform the on-going work of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.