Third Informal Interactive Multi-Stakeholder Hearing of the Preparatory Process for the Global Compact for Migration

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at Third Informal Interactive Multi-Stakeholder Hearing of the Preparatory Process for the Global Compact for Migration

Excellencies, esteemed co-facilitators, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

I want to thank you all for your participation today.

A whole-of-society approach to migration is absolutely necessary. We know that. We knew it before. And we reaffirmed it – very strongly – today.

I listened with great interest to the discussions we had. And let me offer some brief reactions.

First, I thought that there was a strong theme of hope and opportunity.

This was inspired by many success stories and examples of best practices.

• We listened to experiences from the field that highlighted the need to involve citizens, including migrants, in developing and implementing migration policies.
• We were told about the role of parliamentarians in Mexico, who are taking lessons from their own country’s evolving experience, to shape the debate about migration.
• We heard from On-ye-kachi Wambu about the need for partnerships and cooperation – not only between local and national mechanisms, but also between ministries, departments and actors at the national level. Because, a whole-of-society approach must go hand-in-hand with a whole-of government
• We learned that companies and small and medium enterprises should strengthen their cooperation with policy-makers to harness the reciprocal benefits migration can offer.
• We were also shown, through research, that the inclusion and integration of migrants has benefits for whole societies – not just parts of them.

So, our discussions today showed that a “whole-of-society approach” is more than just a buzz phrase, which we use here, at the United Nations. Rather, it can be – and in some cases, it already is – a reality on the ground.

However, it is still not the norm. Far from it. And this was my second takeaway from our discussions today.

A lot of opportunities are slipping through our fingers –because we don’t have the mechanisms, networks and resources there to grasp them. We heard accounts of communication gaps, duplications, frustrations and inefficiencies. These were less encouraging than the success stories. But they are just as important to listen to, and record. And they will be just as useful in shaping our global response to migration.

Excellencies, dear colleagues.

As many of you know, the negotiations on the first draft of the Global Compact will start in the third week of February 2018.

Member States will be the drivers of this process. However, the support of other actors will remain crucial. I will convene two further multi-stakeholder hearings next year. The first will take place on 21 February, to avoid overlap with the annual parliamentary hearing, which will be convened by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in the same month. This hearing will place a focus on promoting an evidence-based approach to migration. A second, and final, stakeholder hearing will be held in May.

Since this is the last time we are meeting in 2017, I want to reiterate some important messages. To many of you, I probably sound like a broken record! But I’ll persevere – because these issues are too crucial not to say one more time.

First: When it comes to migration, what we’re doing isn’t working. We need to do it another way, and differently, and better.

Two: The United Nations has stepped up, and coordinated our response to every other global phenomenon of our time. It is time for this to happen for migration.

Three: It will be impossible to agree to a document that everyone thinks is perfect. Difficult comprises will need to be made – not just by one party, or one side –by everyone.

And four, we need to maintain momentum. We need to remind ourselves of how critical our efforts are – for governments, for institutions, for the United Nations, and for people all over the world.

So thank you again for your participation today.