Contemporary states both fear and desire global governance of international migration, viewing it simultaneously as a necessity and an impossibility. They seek it, recognizing that optimal outcomes from international migration are beyond their reach as unilateral actors. They fear it because they know that other actors required for cooperation may have different and often incompatible goals. The research below examines the existing thin layer of multilateral governance (e.g. regional consultative processes) and discusses the purposes and possible forms for cooperation.