Migration Challenges Cannot Be Addressed in Isolation, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Annual Meeting, Urging New Ways to Protect Migrants

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks, as delivered, to the thirteenth annual coordination meeting on international migration, in New York today:

It is for me a great pleasure to participate in this thirteenth annual coordination meeting on international migration, a key element in the new global landscape of interdependence, mobility, diversity and meetings of cultures and heritage.

For over a decade, these annual meetings have encouraged better ways of working together, promoted dialogue and enhanced our understanding on international migration.

As many of you know, migration is very close to my heart.  The tragic and shocking loss again of hundreds of lives this week again in the Mediterranean reminds us all of the critical challenges ahead of us.

Let us recall that thousands of refugees and migrants have in the last year drowned in the Mediterranean, trying to reach the shores of Europe.  They have come in unsafe boats and dinghies supplied by ruthless human traffickers.  We must never get used to or numb in the wake of these horrible tragedies.

I have been engaged in this issue for many years, calling for an approach that sees migration in the development perspective and that unlocks the development potential of migration, minimizes its social and economic costs, and recognizes the dignity and rights of all members of the human family.

Looking back to the first High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in 2006 — which I had the privilege of overseeing as President of the General Assembly — we have come a long way.

The Global Forum on Migration and Development continues to build trust and cooperation among Member States.  I want to express my appreciation to the Government of Turkey for taking over the chair from Sweden, and to the Government of Bangladesh which will succeed Turkey in leading the Global Forum.

In large part through the tireless efforts of Peter Sutherland, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for International Migration, the Global Forum has evolved as a key platform for informal dialogue and cooperation.

For its part, the inter-agency Global Migration Group (GMG) is now well positioned to provide a coordinated and coherent response to migration.  I want to thank ILO [International Labour Organization] for its able leadership last year, and I wish the World Bank much success in chairing the GMG during this critical year for the UN development agenda.  Let me also recognize the vital role and expertise of the UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] in this complex area of migration.

We also benefit from the crucial work and contributions of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) under the able and untiring leadership of Director-General William Swing.  From the side of the UN we are gratified to see IOM as a partner and an active member of our country teams in the field.  The IOM figures continue to impress, with over 9,000 staff in the field, in contrast to only 250 staff at their headquarters in Geneva, this is a good model to follow.

The second High-level Dialogue on [International] Migration [and Development], held in October 2013, was a truly momentous occasion as Member States, international organizations and civil society came together to chart a common pathway forward.  Many of you in this room contributed to its success, and I thank you for your work.

I am deeply aware that there is still much to accomplish in the crucial area of migration.

Over the past year, an unprecedented number of people have risked their lives crossing international borders to flee conflict, violence and persecution.

As I stated earlier, we must find ways to protect migrants better, so that voyages of hope for the future do not become passages to death and devastation.

The human cost of migration is intolerably high, with migrants suffering appalling abuses at the hands of traffickers, smugglers and other unscrupulous exploiters.

We must reduce the costs of migration, both in human and financial terms.   Millions of dollars are squandered due to regulatory barriers and excessive fees demanded by remittance agencies and labour recruiters.

In this new age of mobility, we must not only regulate migration better, taking all aspects into account.  But we must make wider efforts to counter xenophobia, intolerance and discrimination.  We see the dangerous syndrome and attempts by groups to divide humanity into “us and them”.  We see acts of terrorism that are meant to instil fear and division.  We must not fall into this trap of polarization.  We must intensify our work to end poverty, reduce inequality, create decent jobs, and promote good governance.   A key objective should be that people must have a genuine choice about whether to leave or to stay in their countries.

Making migration a positive factor for development requires cooperation and the implementation of effective migration policies.  I am glad that migrants, migration and mobility are an integral part of the proposed sustainable development goals of the post-2015 development agenda.  This reflects the consensus view from the 2013 High-level Dialogue.

None of the migration challenges can be addressed in isolation.  That is why the Secretary-General presented his eight-point interrelated agenda for action at the 2013 High-level Dialogue.  At meetings like this one, we need to take stock of progress made and of remaining needs as we approach the third High-level Dialogue later in this decade.

Today’s presence of senior officials from Governments, the United Nations, and other international organizations, including IOM, as well as participants from civil society and academia, testifies to the important role of this coordination meeting.

I am confident that the discussions you will have today and tomorrow will help us respond better to the challenges and opportunities offered by international migration, both now and in the years to come.  Your work will have important ramifications for development, as well as security, human rights and a life of dignity for all.