Today in Marrakech, Ireland along with over 180 countries across the world will sign the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration* (GCM).
The Irish Refugee and Migrant Coalition (IRMC***) welcomes the Irish government’s engagement with the UN process and in signing the Compact.
Edel McGinley, spokesperson for the IRMC said “this is a welcome step as it re-affirms Ireland’s commitments to upholding human rights. While it falls short of the ideal, it is a landmark document in the history of international migration as it recognises that migration is a key part of human life”.
Last week (4th -7th December), the Global Forum on Migration and Development ** also met in Morocco to look at strategies for implementation of the GCM.
McGinley continued “Ireland is a diverse county with a long history of migration and a deep understanding of what it means to move. Ireland therefore must be a leader in the implementation of a rights focused approach to migration across the world. This is all the more significant as this day 70 years ago the UN Declaration of Human Rights was adopted”.
Notes
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan along with world leaders including Angela Merkel will address the Intergovernmental Conference in Marrakesh on Monday 10th December. http://www.un.org/en/conf/migration/
*The Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) is an initiative launched by governments in the United Nations in September 2016, with the New York Declaration. The Global Compact on Refugees was negotiated during the same time period and adopted in November 2018.
The GCM agrees a cooperative framework of principles and action in the area of migration. It is non-binding agreement that gives political direction to states. The Global Compact on Migration contains 23 commitments, with a series of actions under each one. The Compact is intended to be read and implemented as a whole, addressing migration “in all its dimensions”. See full text here https://undocs.org/en/A/CONF.231/3
**The 11th Global Forum on Migration and Development was held 4th to the 7th December in Marrakesh. The annual forum brought together, civil society, governments and business to focus on the implementation, follow up and review of the Global Compact https://www.gfmd.org/eleventh-gfmd-summit-meeting-registration-landing
*** The Irish Refugee and Migrant Coalition is comprised of over 20 organisations working in the area of asylum and migration. Its members are – ActionAid Ireland; Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland, Community Work Ireland; Christian Aid; Comhlámh; Crosscare; Cultúr Migrants Centre; Dóchas; Doras Luimní; ENAR Ireland; Immigrant Council of Ireland; Irish Refugee Council; Jesuit Refugee Service; Mercy International Association; Migrant Rights Centre Ireland; Mayo Intercultural Action ; NASC Ireland; National Women’s Council of Ireland ; Oxfam Ireland; Trócaire; World Vision Ireland
