On Saturday, July 13th, and Sunday, July 14th of 2013, the United Nations High Level Dialogue Preparatory Meetings for and by Civil Society was held at the UN Church Center in New York City. The purpose of the Preparatory Meetings was to gather civil society together and develop clear messages to be discussed with UN Member States at the Informal Interactive Hearings for the 2013 High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which was held the next day, Monday, July 15th.

The two days featured a variety of speakers informed on the topic of international migration and development. Scalabrini International Migration Network sent two representatives to the Meetings: Father Leonir Chiarello, executive director of SIMN, and Father Mario Zambiasi, assistant executive director of SIMN. They participated in Session 2.A, entitled “Migrant Rights and Protection”, which aimed to address protection needs of migrants stranded in distress and in transit and Session 4.A, entitled “Migration Governance and Partnerships”, which focused on promoting the implementation of national legislation that reflects international standards for migrants and their families.