Exploring Contemporary Migration Challenges: Reflecting on the Outcomes of the 2013 High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development and the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

It has been an honour for IOM to co-organize with the League of Arab States the Fifth Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretariats of Regional Consultative Processes on Migration (RCPs), marking the official launch of the 18th RCP, the Arab RCP.

I would like to thank each one of you for the excellent contribution and the quality of the rich debate. Once again you have affirmed the important role of inter-state dialogue in addressing the evolving challenges of migration.

This two-day meeting gave us the opportunity to hear about your achievements since we last met in Lima in 2013, the challenges and the complexity of human mobility in your regions and the various approaches and mechanisms utilized by RCPs. We also heard about the emerging RCPs and stand ready to support them.

We saw how RCPs have been promoting new policies and helped facilitate information sharing in preparation for global processes, including the 2006 and 2013 UN high-level dialogues on international migration and development. We recognized how the Fourth Global RCP Meeting contributed to the inclusion of migration in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

1. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda

The 2030 Agenda for the first time concretely recognizes the role and place of migration as a key enabler of development, and the importance of adopting and implementing well-managed migration policies to promote safe, regular and orderly migration, respecting the rights of all migrants. I am pleased to note that a key conclusion of this meeting is the recognition of the paramount role RCPs can play to support the implementation of the migrant-specific targets in the SDGs.

The scale and ambition of the new 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda requires a revitalized global partnership to ensure its implementation; which brings me to my second point.

2. Drivers of forced migration

Your second set of recommendation that call on RCPs to address the drivers of forced and irregular migration, including climate change, economic disparities, and demand for labour, is timely. RCPs have an important role in supporting governments promote regular and safe migration, to reduce the incidence of irregular movements, including through circular labour migration, and reducing the costs of labour migration.

We should continue to do our utmost to protect the rights of all migrants, eliminate migrant exploitation and xenophobia, address the plight of migrants caught in crises, reduce the costs of labour migration, improve public perceptions of migrants and strengthen the migration evidence base.

3. Renewed Cooperation and Partnerships

Your recommendations on the need for cooperation at all levels, within and between countries of origin, transit and destination, and exploring means constructively to engage civil society and the private sector are of critical importance..

It is clear that RCPs and other inter-state regional consultation mechanisms will continue to be important vehicles in addressing migration challenges on the basis of sharing of information and experiences and the building of consensus to overcome the migration challenges that might otherwise prove intractable. It demonstrates that RCPs remain vibrant, state-led and self-sustaining mechanisms for inter-state cooperation.

IOM confirms its commitment to work closely with RCPs and inter-state consultation mechanisms to enhance partnerships among them, to support the implementation of the migration-related targets of the 2030 Agenda and to address the drivers of forced and irregular migration with a view to saving lives and protecting the human rights of all migrants and at all stages of the migration process.

Conclusion

I would like to thank once again the League of Arab States for its most gracious hosting the event. I am pleased to note that the Arab Regional Consultative Process has been formally launched at this Meeting. I am hopeful that by the time of the next Global RCP Meeting, each region will have been covered by RCPs, and our experience sharing and collective efforts will have deepened even further.