On 22 March 2017, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Tomáš Boček, published a Thematic Report on migrant and refugee children. Based on the SRSG’s on-the-ground experience and findings*, the report identifies the main challenges and concerns for migrant and refugee children in Europe, such as the lack of appropriate age-assessment measures, the lack of effective guardianship systems for children, the lack of access to information and education, alternatives to detention and inadequate living conditions in camps. The report will be followed by the Organisation’s Action Plan for the protection of migrant and refugee children, especially unaccompanied children. The adoption of the Action Plan is scheduled for May 2017.

* The SRSG carried out four fact-finding missions to Greece and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Turkey, northern France (Calais and Grande-Synthe) and Italy.

On 28 March, the Special Representative addressed the 32nd session of the Congress.  His speech on “From reception to integration: the role of local and regional authorities facing migration” focused on four main themes that emerged from his fact-finding missions: mayors as opinion leaders, the need to work together with the central government and other municipalities, the search for practical and innovative solutions, and the importance of voluntary arrangements in the context of migration and refugees. The SRSG stressed that municipalities have a key role in promoting integration and facilitating relations between the local and migrant populations.

On 30 March, in the framework of the on-going cooperation with the Turkish authorities following the SRSG’s report on Turkey, his Office participated in the High-Level conference of the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) in Antalya, Turkey. The Office representative’s contribution to the panel entitled “Migration developments in Turkey’s neighbourhood in 2016 and their continuation over the course of 2017” consisted in a presentation on “Legal and Human Rights Issues”, which covered  Council of Europe migration-related standards, recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the overall situation in Europe. The conference targeted migration executives in central and field offices and was organised by the DGMM, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the United Kingdom Embassy in Turkey. The aim of the conference was to provide information on current migration developments in the region, conduct internal consultations, assess current operational challenges and develop strategic recommendations.