Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
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The Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration takes place in Marrakech on the 10th and 11th of December, 2018, and is hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco. On Tuesday the December 11th the Conference will formally adopt the Global Compact for Migration, as agreed by 190 Member States of the United Nations on the 13th of July, 2018.
Background of the Global Compact
In a press conference at the 9 th December Louise Arbour, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for International Migration communicated the over 150 States are registered to attend, also 400 partners from UN system, civil society, private sector, academy and over 700 media will join. The GCM was developed as an initiative of the member states of the UN.
The background was the intolerable sight of a large number of people losing their lives in the Syrian crisis, as well as the fact that governments have lost control of their borders in the major migration and refugee movements. The Compact covers all aspects of migration, from the need to reduce migration to the protection of migrants in transit and destination countries, and to the need for safe and sustainable return procedures.
Each state should implement its own migration priorities. The Compact recognises that each state experiences migration differently and strengthens the prerogative of individual states to shape their own immigration policies at their own discretion. The Compact does not create a right to migration; it imposes nothing on states; it is not a so-called "soft law"; it is not legally binding; it explicitly allows states to distinguish between regular and irregular migrants.
Statements
In his opening statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised that the Pact is aimed in particular at the 20% (around 50 million) of illegal migrants worldwide. It is also about avoiding human suffering during migration - over 60,000 migrants have lost their lives since 2000. The pact is historic because, it gives the UN the opportunity to work effectively with UN member states on migration issues.
The general debate was opened by 13 heads of state and heads of government: Chancellor Angelika Merkel, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Alexis Tsipras, Charles Michel, Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejoin, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Programme of work
The conference is divided into two parts. In the plenary debate, on the 10th and 11th of December, the Member States will confirm their political commitment, their position and intepretation to the Global Compact for Migration. Two dialogues focus on concrete initatives for implementation and partnerships at all levels and with all relevant stakeholders. Both panels will be interactive, and will have one keynote speaker, and three panelists.
