Excellencies, colleagues, friends,
It is my honor to send this message, as you take this important step in the intergovernmental consultations on the progress declaration. This is to be the key indicator of a successful International Migration Review Forum.
The adoption of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration remains a milestone achievement within global efforts to establish effective and just migration policies.
Such efforts are especially critical now, in the wake of a pandemic and conflicts that have both illustrated and compounded the vulnerabilities faced by migrants.
The cost of excluding migrants has never been clearer, and we have a responsibility to protect their fundamental rights and include them in our recovery efforts.
As we begin these consultations, all Member States have a shared responsibility to set ambitious precedents. We must work together, and acknowledge that piecemeal and unilateral efforts are not sufficient to address migration challenges in all their dimensions.
Indeed, we have in our hands a historic opportunity to strengthen multilateralism through pursuing a common cause – achieving humane, safe, orderly, and regular migration, that benefits migrants and host communities alike.
In these endeavors, I place my full confidence in the work and leadership of the co-facilitators, who have thus far consulted inclusively and transparently with all stakeholders in shaping the content of the zero-draft.
I urge delegations to engage constructively in the process, and to pursue coherent policies with strong commitments to uphold the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their status.
Migration has always been a part of the human experience. It has been a source of cultural enrichment, innovation, and sustainable development.
In today’s globalized world, these benefits can be amplified by improving migration governance. A comprehensive and action-oriented progress declaration has the potential to lead us down this path.
Colleagues,
The progress declaration of this first IMRF will set important precedents and shape the tone and tenor of subsequent forums. Most importantly it will impact the lives of migrants and communities in countries of origin, transit, and destination alike.
I encourage delegations to work together in the spirit of compromise and solidarity. And I encourage you to always keep sight of our long-term vision, one in which migration is always an informed choice, rather than a desperate necessity.
Thank you. And I wish you all a very robust discussion.
