Mr. António Vitorino,
Let me thank you, as Coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration, for convening this very timely webinar. And allow me to assure you of the continued support of my Department in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Excellencies,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and gentlemen,
In September 2015, 193 Member States committed to promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers. They committed to meeting the needs of those who are in vulnerable situations, including migrants, and to implementing policies that uphold the human rights of all migrants.
The Secretary-General’s policy brief on COVID-19 and People on the Move is a significant message to the international community, to uphold the commitments made towards migrants as set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The current pandemic has highlighted the immense contribution that migrants make to our economies and societies. Many are essential workers in the health sector, in the care economy and throughout our food supply chains. Foreign-born doctors and nurses often staff our hospitals. And without seasonal workers, our harvests would be threatened.
COVID-19 has also reminded us that migration, and the remittances that migrants send back home, provide a lifeline for millions of families in countries of origin.
Yesterday we celebrated the second International Day of Family Remittances. Two years ago, the General Assembly declared this day in recognition of the transformative impact that remittances have in the lives of migrants and their families, and in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Remittances contribute to poverty reduction and facilitate access to basic services at the household level. When invested productively, remittances foster local entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.Today, we are reminded that COVID-19 is projected to wipe out more than 100 billion U.S. dollars in migrant remittances. This is the equivalent of 72 per cent of the total amount of official development assistance provided in 2019. Tragically, remittance levels are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels for many years to come.
Across the globe, the lockdowns and subsequent economic downturn are depriving millions of people of their livelihoods. Migrant workers, who are often at greater risk than nationals of losing their jobs, often have no choice but to return to their home countries. These changes will have a devastating impact on access to health, education, housing and income-earning opportunities for millions of people in countries of origin.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This latest policy brief from the Secretary-General makes it clear that hundreds of millions of migrants and members of their families are being hard hit by the pandemic and its aftermath.
The pledge by world leaders that no one will be left behind will remain an empty promise, unless we act now to respond to the mobility consequences of the pandemic. We should use this crisis as an opportunity to construct a global migration regime that benefits both countries of destination and countries of origin, while respecting the human rights of all migrants. Migration policies can be a tool for building back better.
I can see four possible avenues for our global response in this situation:
First, more than ever, we need international cooperation. As the policy brief rightly observes: “ad hoc measures, put in place by governments focused on containing the threat of the virus, may engender an unworkable patchwork of travel requirements”. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration offers a comprehensive framework for international cooperation on migration. It lists numerous practical actions to make migration work for all.
Second, it is time to emphasize the valuable contribution that migrants make all around the world. It is time to halt discrimination and xenophobic rhetoric. It is time to fully embrace migrants as members of our increasingly pluralistic societies.
Third, migrants, regardless of their status, must have access to basic health services, including diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. As the policy brief points out: “no one will be safe until everyone is safe”.
Fourth, we should recognize and repeatedly highlight that migration makes a critical contribution to sustainable development. We must further reduce the costs of migration and enhance its benefits. The 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Global Compact are our reliable roadmaps.
In closing, let us, together, explore the ways in which migrants and migration can be part of the solution as we plan for a post-COVID society.
Thank you.
Let me thank you, as Coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration, for convening this very timely webinar. And allow me to assure you of the continued support of my Department in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Excellencies,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and gentlemen,
In September 2015, 193 Member States committed to promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers. They committed to meeting the needs of those who are in vulnerable situations, including migrants, and to implementing policies that uphold the human rights of all migrants.
The Secretary-General’s policy brief on COVID-19 and People on the Move is a significant message to the international community, to uphold the commitments made towards migrants as set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The current pandemic has highlighted the immense contribution that migrants make to our economies and societies. Many are essential workers in the health sector, in the care economy and throughout our food supply chains. Foreign-born doctors and nurses often staff our hospitals. And without seasonal workers, our harvests would be threatened.
COVID-19 has also reminded us that migration, and the remittances that migrants send back home, provide a lifeline for millions of families in countries of origin.
Yesterday we celebrated the second International Day of Family Remittances. Two years ago, the General Assembly declared this day in recognition of the transformative impact that remittances have in the lives of migrants and their families, and in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Remittances contribute to poverty reduction and facilitate access to basic services at the household level. When invested productively, remittances foster local entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.Today, we are reminded that COVID-19 is projected to wipe out more than 100 billion U.S. dollars in migrant remittances. This is the equivalent of 72 per cent of the total amount of official development assistance provided in 2019. Tragically, remittance levels are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels for many years to come.
Across the globe, the lockdowns and subsequent economic downturn are depriving millions of people of their livelihoods. Migrant workers, who are often at greater risk than nationals of losing their jobs, often have no choice but to return to their home countries. These changes will have a devastating impact on access to health, education, housing and income-earning opportunities for millions of people in countries of origin.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This latest policy brief from the Secretary-General makes it clear that hundreds of millions of migrants and members of their families are being hard hit by the pandemic and its aftermath.
The pledge by world leaders that no one will be left behind will remain an empty promise, unless we act now to respond to the mobility consequences of the pandemic. We should use this crisis as an opportunity to construct a global migration regime that benefits both countries of destination and countries of origin, while respecting the human rights of all migrants. Migration policies can be a tool for building back better.
I can see four possible avenues for our global response in this situation:
First, more than ever, we need international cooperation. As the policy brief rightly observes: “ad hoc measures, put in place by governments focused on containing the threat of the virus, may engender an unworkable patchwork of travel requirements”. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration offers a comprehensive framework for international cooperation on migration. It lists numerous practical actions to make migration work for all.
Second, it is time to emphasize the valuable contribution that migrants make all around the world. It is time to halt discrimination and xenophobic rhetoric. It is time to fully embrace migrants as members of our increasingly pluralistic societies.
Third, migrants, regardless of their status, must have access to basic health services, including diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. As the policy brief points out: “no one will be safe until everyone is safe”.
Fourth, we should recognize and repeatedly highlight that migration makes a critical contribution to sustainable development. We must further reduce the costs of migration and enhance its benefits. The 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Global Compact are our reliable roadmaps.
In closing, let us, together, explore the ways in which migrants and migration can be part of the solution as we plan for a post-COVID society.
Thank you.
File date:
Wednesday, June 17, 2020