In May 2026, global leaders, UN agencies, and civil society gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the Second International Migration Forum (IMRF). Held every four years, the IMRF is a key opportunity to assess progress on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)—the landmark agreement adopted in 2018 to improve migration governance worldwide.
In the months leading up to the IMRF, KIND worked strategically to push forward concrete, child-centered commitments and to ensure that unaccompanied and separated children’s issues were included in global discussions on migration.
KIND succeeded in its efforts. More robust language on the protection of unaccompanied and separated children was incorporated into both the UN Secretary-General’s report on GCM implementation and official background materials. Crucially, family unity and reunification emerged as central priorities for Member States—an important shift toward policies that recognize the fundamental role of families in children’s safety and well-being.
In partnership with UNICEF and the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP), KIND co-led technical discussions with Member State delegations to help inform them on key issues of concern, including child-sensitive return and reintegration, family unity, and family reunification.
At a multistakeholder meeting early in the forum, KIND Senior Advisor for Global Advocacy, Ben Lewis, articulated KIND’s priorities for GCM implementation, including expanded pathways for family reunification, with particular attention to unaccompanied children and other migrants in vulnerable situations.
KIND continued to elevate its concerns and priorities throughout the IMRF, including at a roundtable at which KIND President Wendy Young highlighted family unity as a defining issue of the forum.
“Family separation is the backdrop to every unaccompanied and separated children’s story,” Young said. “Whether children migrate alone, become separated along their journeys, or are separated from loved ones during unsafe and undignified return procedures, family separation is an enduring trauma with life-long impacts on a child’s health, well-being and long-term development.”
The effort took a major step forward with the May 6 launch of the GCM Family Unity Initiative, a new global, multistakeholder initiative co-organized by KIND alongside UNICEF, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), MYCP, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, and the governments of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay. Announced during a high-level side event, the initiative aims to transform how countries approach family reunification, shifting from ad hoc responses to coordinated, rights-based systems.
The forum concluded with the adoption of a Progress Declaration by consensus, which included multiple provisions strengthening commitments to protect unaccompanied and separated children—an important validation of sustained advocacy efforts.
Beyond formal sessions, the IMRF provided a vital platform for relationship-building and coalition strengthening.
KIND engaged in bilateral meetings with governments across Latin America and Europe, UN agencies, and a wide network of civil society partners. These conversations reinforced a shared recognition: no single actor can address the complexities of child migration alone.
From regional advocacy groups to global institutions, partners expressed strong interest in deepening collaboration—whether through joint programming, policy development, or coordinated advocacy efforts.
“These partnerships are essential in translating IMRF commitments into real-world impact,” Lewis said. “The forum opened up strategic opportunities to drive meaningful change, and KIND will make every effort to ensure implementation of law, policy, and practice that protects and centers children on the move and preserves and reunites families.”
