The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration

‘What is the Global Compact and the process for consultations?”
Frequently Asked Questions on the Compact

GCM Issue Briefs for the Compact

• Promoting Human Security & Supporting Mobility Options: Addressing Drivers of Forced Migration in the Global Compact and Other Complementary Processes and Frameworks
• Ensuring Human Rights of All Migrants, Social Inclusion and Non-Discrimination in the Global Compact
• Key issues for the Global Compact

Summary of the Global Compact

As agreed at the September 19 Summit on Refugees and Migrants, and expressed in the New York Declaration coming out of the Summit, UN Member States will develop a Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration by September 2018. In the New York Declaration, states committed to “reaffirm, and… fully protect, the human rights of all refugees and migrants, regardless of status.”

The GCM together with many other civil society organizations – has been actively mobilizing our bases across regions and strategizing for concrete inputs into the upcoming consultations and the subsequent negotiating process.

Migrants today and including those in the context of large movements, are facing a human rights crisis at all stages of the migrant journey

• in their places of origin,
• in transit and at borders,
• in places of destination
• and, often, upon return.

As a coalition of mainly migrant and migrant-led organizations, GCM is emphasizing that migrants are both stakeholders in the Global Compact process and rights-holders, and will participate as fully and effectively as possible in the consultations and negotiations culminating in the Global Compact. We seek to demonstrate strong civil society support for upholding existing human rights norms and instruments, engaging with states and other stakeholders to support the effective implementation of these instruments, and to oppose any provisions that could undermine these norms and their implementation– particularly in the contexts of detention, returns/deportations, trafficking and smuggling.

GCM is developing outreach and education tools including a webinar series to familiarize member organizations/networks and civil society more broadly with the Global Compact process. GCM members will engage:

• with national governments;
• in the various regional consultations taking place this year;
• in the six global thematic consultations to be held in New York, Geneva, and Vienna between May and November 2017;
• in the multistakeholder hearings at the end of the year and into 2018;
• as well as informally with governments and in the intergovernmental stock-taking and negotiating processes.

GCM will offer focus on issues of critical importance to its members—

• labor rights including recruitment reform and access to justice;
• more and better opportunities for labor migration, respecting migrants’ labor rights;
• toward commitments to regularization and firewalls and against dangerous and unsustainable returns/deportations;
• ending the use of detention for deterrence and abolishing child detention in all circumstances.

Statements made by GCM Members at the UN Thematic Consultations

3rd Thematic Consultation, Geneva (June 19-20, 2017)

• Statement from Catherine Tactaquin
  Executive Director, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Global Coalition on Migration statement from co-facilitator meeting
• Migrant Forum in Asia statement from co-facilitator meeting
• Solidarity Center statement
• Statement prepared by Trade Collective on behalf of Women in Migration Network
• Women in Migration Network statement

2nd Thematic Consultation, New York (May 22-23, 2017)

Addressing Drivers of Migration, including Adverse Effects of Climate Change, Natural Disasters and Human-made Crisis, through Protection and Assistance, Sustainable Development, Poverty Eradication, Conflict Prevention and Resolution

• Rex Marlo Varona representing Migrant Forum in Asia in Panel I (click for video)
• Roula Hamati representing Migration Forum in Asia and Cross-Regional Network Arab region in Panel II (click for vide0)

1st Thematic Consultation, Geneva (May 8-9, 2017)

Human rights of all migrants, social inclusion, cohesion and all forms of discrimination, including racism, xenophobia and intolerance

• Statement from Monami Maulik, International Coordinator, Global Coalition on Migration

Related Processes on the Global Compact:

Human Rights Council, 34th regular session
Enhanced interactive dialogue on the human rights of migrants in the context of large movements

• Statement of Monami Maulik, International Coordinator, Global Coalition on Migration