Several heads of UN bodies have called for the protection of the rights of migrants and urged countries to implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Stressing that “all migrants are entitled to equal protection of all their human rights,” the United Nations Secretary-General is urging countries to realize the goals of a global agreement that promotes enhanced international cooperation on migration.
António Guterres made the invitation in a video message for International Migrants Day, observed annually on 18 December. The UN General Assembly on December 4, 2000, declared December 18 as International Migrants Day, in commemoration of the day in 1990, when the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
“Safe, orderly and regular migration,” Guterres said, “is in the interest of all”. “And national priorities on migration are best achieved through international cooperation.” Last December, countries agreed on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration following 18 months of consultation and negotiation. It addresses the issue of migration at all levels, including mitigating factors that compel people to leave their homelands, whether to find work or for other reasons.
The protection of the rights of migrants and their safe, orderly and regular movements, Guterres said, are principles that are enshrined in the Global Compact. Every person who migrates, the UN rights chief said, has his or her own reasons for leaving behind homes and families, and each one of them has his or her own unique experiences along the journey and their own personal story of exile and belonging. UN News
