In this Call to Action, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, Eurostat and OECD show how crucial data are to understanding the patterns of global migration and developing policies to support vulnerable groups like children. The Call to Action confirms alarming holes in the availability, reliability, timeliness and accessibility of data and evidence that are essential for understanding how migration and forcible displacement affect children and their families.
"As Member States work towards the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees," says the Call to Action, "UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, Eurostat and OECD call on them to prioritise actions to address these evidence gaps, and include child-specific considerations in both agreements." The Call to Action urges Member States to support the actions and commitment put forth in the zero drafts of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, and include the following child-specific considerations:
- Disaggregate data by age and sex
- Cover key issues relating to children affected by migration and displacement
- Make better use of existing data, and share it
- Coordinate data efforts within countries and across borders
- Make special efforts to collect and analyze data on children
The document also highlights some best practices from around the globe.
