Sixth Thematic Session of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at the Sixth Thematic Session of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am very glad to be here today.

I want to start by thanking Ambassador Lauber, of Switzerland, and Ambassador Gomez-Camacho, of Mexico, for their work. Ambassadors, I commend the dedication and commitment you have shown throughout this process so far.

I also want to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General for International Migration, Her Excellency, Ms. Louise Arbour, for carrying out her mandate with such vigor and passion.

My team and I stand ready to support the co-facilitators and the Special Representative as we move closer to adopting a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Today, I want to begin my statement by stressing something. Which is that migration can drive economic growth. It has done so in the past. It will do so again.

But only if we create the conditions to allow this to happen.

I will highlight three main starting points for our efforts in this regard.

First we need a lot more cooperation.

We need new partnerships. We need better agreements, and joint policies. We need to work across borders, and among different bodies. This will help us to take essential steps, such as:

• Recognizing foreign qualifications and skills.
• Lowering the cost of migrant recruitment.
• Clamping down on exploitative labor practices.
• And allowing remittance flows to positively stimulate economies.

These steps can bring us closer to the conditions needed for migration to drive economic growth – both in countries of origin and destination.

Additionally, the economic element of the decision to migrate cannot be disregarded. If people have real options for employment at home, they are less likely to take big risks to leave. We must work together to eradicate the root causes of irregular migration. More partnerships aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals are badly needed. This will be particularly crucial in the area of education.

Second, we need to harness the opportunities presented by migration.

Migration, when irregular, can create risks, and problems. We know this. However, regular migration can generate significant opportunity. For migrants, it opens up new avenues for decent work, and, therefore, decent lives. For communities and states, it can act as a new source of skills, experiences and labor.

Thematic sessions, like the one today, give us valuable information, which we can use going forward. They allow us to engage in discussions that are based on fact – not rhetoric. And they help us to ensure that our final Compact addresses both the risks and opportunities of migration.

And finally, to allow migration to be a driver of economic growth, we need an agreement. A real one. We cannot be left with a Compact that works on paper, but not on the ground.

States will continue to hold the decision-making power when it comes to migration. Our agreement, however, should act as a strong basis for collective policies and programmes. These must harness the economic opportunity presented by migration.

As I have said in front of the UN General Assembly, I believe that a focus on people will help us to reach this agreement.

You and I are people. Migrants are people. Regardless of passports or visas – we all have the same fears and hopes. And, as human beings, we are entitled to the same fundamental rights– no matter where we are, or why we are there. A focus on people can help us to prevent this process from becoming a purely technical exercise. We can spend less time on positions, and more on interests – the interests of both the people who will be affected by the Compact, and the people who will implement it.

Excellencies,

Yesterday I organized and presided over the second multi-stakeholder hearing of this process. It was an interactive exchange that brought forth many stories of people on the move, but also regional challenges and best practices on migration. I thank all Member States representatives who participated.

The Member States have the sovereign right to decide on your migratory policies. But as noted by one of the speakers yesterday, you also have the sovereign right to solve problems. And that’s what the United Nations is here for – to find global solutions to global challenges affecting so many lives on our planet.

What I want to stress is that a focus on people applies also to us. Those of us in this room; those of us who are – in a small or big way – involved in this process. We might represent different priorities or perspectives. But, if we can engage and listen, as people, there will always be compromise and commonalities to be found.

Some of the most difficult agreements in history have been made possible by the people who have negotiated them. I am confident that the Global Compact will be no different.

Thank you.