The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) took place last week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Chad Bolick and I were "expert observers" (as opposed to “delegates”), representing BSR at the GFMD Civil Society Days (CSDs)—the two and half days set aside for representatives from civil society organizations (academics, NGOs, development institutions, non-profits, and the odd company) to discuss the challenges of migration and its impact on development outcomes. The CSDs preceded the GFMD Government Days (GDs) which took up the rest of the week.

Similar to last year, BSR’s role was to pull together a panel at the CSDs entitled, "Building Partnerships with the Private Sector". The panel was moderated by Sir Peter Sutherland—UN Special Representative for Migration—and involved the CEO of BBVA Bancomer Financial Holdings Inc. Moises James, the CEO of Palliser Furniture Art DeFehr, VP of Global Public Affairs at Western Union Barbara Span, and former Director of Microfinance at the Mastercard Foundation David Myhre.

In advance of the panel, BSR had penned a white paper which called on business, civil society, and government to tackle migration and development through a "shared responsibility" approach, one which recognizes the need for business to fill known governance gaps, but not without the full understanding by civil society of what drives business value.

Indeed, understanding what motivates business is still poorly comprehended by those civil society groups participating at the GFMD. During the private sector panel there were even some calls for business to become not-for-profit ventures, especially when migrant workers are involved. There was a belief among some that business cannot seek to maximize returns and uphold migrant worker rights—the two goals were seen as mutually exclusive. However, the majority of CSD attendees held a different view and sought practical examples of how business can partner with other groups to uphold migrant rights and address socio-economic development challenges. Many, for example, were receptive to business wanting to move beyond talking simply about remittance mechanisms—those payments sent home by migrant workers to their families left behind—to financial literacy and empowerment.

But in the end, I still left the GFMD questioning how business in particular can join this annual debate in the most effective way possible. And, while I believe the CSD should have a future, I question whether it really is the best mechanism to foster understanding and, ultimately, partnerships between business and civil society on these issues–especially given that there is a real bifurcation between the CSDs and the GDs. While there are attempts at cross-learning and cross-pollination of ideas, they are not fully incorporated into the current process.

Given these criticisms one has to wonder, what is the right form for government, civil society, and the private sector to interact on these issues? Most representatives from multilaterals I spoke with recognize the absolute necessity for the business voice to be represented in fora like this, yet scratch their heads when asked about the right mechanism. Should the GFMD establish standalone Business Days in addition to the CSDs and GDs? After all, migrants aren't leaving their countries of origin to work for governments or civil society organizations—they are leaving to work for private enterprise in the apparel, ICT, food, agriculture, construction, and hospitality sectors. If the employers of these people are not adequately represented at the GFMD, how can we increase awareness for the plight of migrant workers, and, ultimately, how can the rights of migrants be protected in a manner which also promotes better development?

More of our thinking on this and other issues related to international labor migration can be found in our initiative Migration Linkages.