SDC and IOM present National Framework to Measure Progress and Impact of Migration towards SDGs

The Sustainable Development Council (SDC), together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sri Lanka, recently presented the National Framework to Measure the Progress and Contribution of Migration towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, Vijitha Herath at the Ministry premises. The National Framework was presented jointly by the Director General of SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu and the Chief of Mission of IOM Sri Lanka, Kristin Parco in the presence of senior officials from SDC, IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The relationship between migration and development is a complex one. Migration can generate several economic benefits, labor force contributions; bring new skills and knowledge to destination countries fostering development. At the same time, migration can entail negative consequences through brain drain and increased vulnerabilities. The out-migration of highly skilled workers from developing countries can result in loss of essential human capital from these countries while poor integration of migrants can lead to social tensions and discrimination in receiving countries. In the case of irregular migration situations, migrant workers remain vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking.

Until recently, there was no global framework to harness migration’s potential for development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provided the first global framework recognizing migration’s role in development. Migration intersects with several key SDGs and shapes both challenges and opportunities for development. By addressing both the opportunities and challenges associated with migration, countries can enhance their ability to meet key SDG targets and promote social and economic inclusion. Additionally, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), endorsed in 2018, is a non-binding agreement focusing on international cooperation on migration. It reinforces the SDGs’ recognition of migration’s development impact.

A critical enabler for achieving both SDG and GCM outcomes are reliable and accurate migration data which would help identify gaps and opportunities for evidence-based policy and programmatic interventions to ensure that migration is effectively integrated into national development strategies. By monitoring migration patterns, economic contributions, and social impacts, countries can promote inclusive growth, protect migrant rights, and address challenges, ensuring that migration contributes positively to sustainable development while leaving no one behind.

The National Framework provides a sustainable mechanism for tracking and monitoring Sri Lanka’s progress towards achieving the migration-related targets of the SDGs. It maps existing national migration data, identifies data gaps, suggests proxy/national targets and indicators, and provides a comprehensive framework to measure the progress and contribution of migration towards achieving the SDGs in Sri Lanka with a focus on capacity building for custodian agencies, periodic reviews, and the proper dissemination of data and information.

The National Framework was authored by Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne of the Institute of Policy Studies on behalf of SDC and IOM Sri Lanka and was developed with guidance from an Inter-agency Task Force consisting of representatives from relevant government agencies through the project titled ‘Tracking the Progress on Sri Lanka’s Migration-Related Targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Assessing the Contribution of Migration towards the SDGs’ supported by the IOM Development Fund.

Receiving the National Framework, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to becoming a GCM champion country showcasing the Government’s commitment towards political advocacy and multilateral engagement in advancing GCM in the country.

Commenting on the National Framework, the Director General of SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu said “migration is a powerful tool to achieve sustainable development if properly addressed and integrated into development policies. As such, the importance of monitoring the impact of migration cannot be overemphasized. The National Framework will strengthen Sri Lanka’s ability to measure the progress and contribution of migration towards achieving the SDGs in Sri Lanka’ while the Chief of Mission of IOM Sri Lanka, Kristin Parco said ‘the development of the National Framework was a result of the strong partnership between SDC and IOM reflecting Sri Lanka’s proactive commitment towards enhanced migration governance. Together with Sri Lanka’s interest in joining the GCM Champion Country Initiative, this Framework serves as a catalyst for advancing the SDGs and the GCM, promoting evidence-based policy making and informed reporting on migration and its contribution to sustainable development.’

The National Framework would be the foundation for the development of a migration and SDGs monitoring ICT Platform, the work of which has already commenced.