His Excellency Mr. Jeem Lippwe, Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia, Vice President of the General Assembly,Ìý
Director-General Amy Pope,Ìý
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Ladies and Gentlemen,Ìý
It is a pleasure to join you to introduce the Secretary-General's report on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Ìý
Migration is a defining issue of our time. And today, migrants account for around 3.6 per cent of the world's population.Ìý
This number is expected to significantly increase, driven by growing mobility and increasing cross-border activities, as well as by aggravating crises around the globe, including climate disasters and sea-level rise.Ìý
How we approach migration weighs on our ability to reach the SDGs, that leave no one behind.Ìý
Yet, today we are falling short of our ambitions.Ìý
Migration is not just a statistic; it is the lived experience of women, men and children, each with unique identities and vulnerabilities – pursuing better lives and opportunities. But along their journeys, they face unimaginable violence, hardship and risk. Ìý
Since 2014, more than 70,000 deaths have been recorded along migration routes. The true toll is likely much higher as countless disappearances and deaths are not recorded.Ìý
At the same time, we are witnessing a resurgence of xenophobia and anti-migrant sentiments in our societies. Gender-based violence remains pervasive in the context of migration and adds yet another layer of injustice.Ìý
This is not only inhumane, it is counterproductive.
It fails to address the very real need for inclusive solutions to address inequalities within our societies and to ensure that migration is well governed – that it is safe, orderly and regular, upholds human rights, and creates opportunities for sustainable development for all.Ìý
The persistence of migrants in seeking a dignified life speaks to our universal drive for hope. It is, therefore, essential that we recognize that migration can be a crucial enabler of sustainable development for our communities.
Excellencies, Ìý
The Global Compact for Migration was adopted to address many of these challenges. ÌýAt the first International Migration Review Forum in May 2022, you requested the UN system to put forward actionable recommendations to strengthen international cooperation to prevent death and disappearances and access to humanitarian assistance for migrants in distress. Ìý
The Secretary-General’s report responds to that request and calls on Member States to: Ìý
Strengthen search and rescue on land and at sea and ensure humanitarian actors can provide humanitarian assistance post-rescue, including during disembarkation;Ìý
It calls to strengthen cooperation along the routes to establish identification mechanisms for migrants who have died or gone missing; Ìý
It calls to support affected families and communities with legal, administrative and economic consequences of disappearing relatives;Ìý
And to ensure justice, accountability and redress mechanisms to uphold migrants’ rights;Ìý
Lastly it calls Improve data and foresight to better prepare our humanitarian responses. Ìý
These recommendations are not abstract ideals—they are a practical roadmap for action. I call on you to commit to implementing these recommendations by the next International Migration Review Forum in 2026.Ìý
When Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda, the principle of Leave No One Behind was its essential premise. Migrants are at the heart of this pledge.Ìý
Finding better solutions to migration is a shared objective that cuts across all our activities. It requires coordinated action across sectors, governments, and regions, stakeholders to address the root causes of migration.
Excellencies,
The UN system, through the Network on Migration and its programmes, stands ready to support your efforts. Resident Coordinators are prepared to play a central role in helping to coordinate these actions on the ground and ensuring that the UN system is fully aligned with your priorities.
The next global review of the Global Compact in 2026 will be a critical test of our commitment to collective action. It offers an opportunity to show that international cooperation is not only possible but a prerequisite for achieving migration governance that inspires action and is responsible, rights-based and people-centred.Ìý
Let’s recommit to the promise of the 2030 Agenda: to leave no one behind, especially migrants.Ìý
Together, let’s strengthen our individual and collective efforts and our actions to make migration safe for everyone, everywhere.Ìý
Thank you. Ìý
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