Global migration governance has evolved dramatically over the last quarter-century through increased international forums, bilateral and regional initiatives, and global responses. This article describes why international cooperation on migration has been so difficult by examining the factors that encourage and discourage cooperation. In the face of increasing pressure, the United Nations and other international organizations have taken up the challenge to build a more reliable and institutionalized architecture that moves beyond coordination and recent crises. This article considers two recent efforts: the Global Migration Group and the 2016 New York Declaration on Migrants and Refugees. Both cases show the conflicting interests of UN member states and competition among UN agencies and international NGOs. While there is much noise and activity around global governance of migration, it is unclear that the emerging norms and institutions will bring greater coherence or have more of an impact on refugee and migration policies worldwide.
