Rome, 23 May 2014 (ICMC) – From 26-28 May 2014, The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) will meet in Rome with Bishops Conferences, representatives from the Vatican Secretary of State, and the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant people to discuss and structure its four-year agenda for migration.

"There are over 232 million migrants and an estimated 750 million moving within their own countries. With a least one person left behind and one person whose existence is transformed by the arrival of a migrant, nearly half of the global population are either migrants or directly affected by migration. This means that migration, and the migrants themselves, drive change at a speed never before seen," states the Secretary General, Johan Ketelers

His Holiness Pope Francis prioritizes migrants and speaks of creating a more hospitable world for vulnerable people on the move. His agenda invites the ICMC Council to increase the protective role of the Church, creatively partner with other sectors, and develop new and much needed solutions.

The two key note speakers – Ms. Laura Thompson, the Deputy Director General of the International Migration Organization (IOM) and Sir Peter Sutherland, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on International Migration - will speak of the necessity of better shared responsibility between governments, church, and civil society to fill growing gaps in migration governance and ensure better protection of all those on the move.

Using the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching as guidance, ICMC aims to restore dignity and inspire change. It preserves and works to recognize the dignity of all human beings; to enhance well-being and encourage social cohesion; to increase human solidarity and contribute to pursuit of the common good.

The meeting will be open to press on the mornings of 26-27 May 9 -13h.

For more information please contact Caitlin Hannahan, ICMC Communications Officer, at hannahan@icmc.net​​​

Design Credit: Kit Castagne 2014