Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Summit held AT Valletta, Malta, on 11 and 12 November 2015 demonstrated the commitment of both the European Union and the African Union to continue engaging in a sustained dialogue on migration at all levels, in a spirit of partnership, ownership and shared responsibility.

I am therefore very pleased with your initiative to convene this meeting today – an initiative in which you are building on the momentum of the Valletta Summit by continuing the discussion in an informal setting here in Geneva to promote mutual understanding and cooperation.

I would like to make three points as my contribution to the discussions.

I. The VALLETTA Summit in GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

A. Unprecedented human mobility; forced migration; simultaneous, complex conflicts and humanitarian disasters; anti-migrant sentiment; and political malaise – with no negotiations or political processes that offer any hope of short to medium term solutions.

The “drivers” or root causes of irregular migration are such that migration will remain a “mega-trend” of our century (demography, disasters, distance-shrinking technology; digital revolution; degradation of the environment and climate change; desperation).

At IOM we have seen a positive evolution in both the EU and AU’s migration policies.

B. Evolution of European Union Migration and Asylum Policy

1. October 2013 Lampedusa Tragedy – a wake-up call.

2. Mare Nostrum: “pull factor” or not – the debate;

3. Short-term, security, push-back focus;

4. April 2015 JHA decision to make saving life top priority;

5. July 2015: New European Migration Agenda.

6. August 2015: Focus shifts from central Mediterranean to Aegean and Syrians;

7. September 2015: JHA meeting approves 40,000 of 160,000 proposal for re-location;

8. October 5: JHA and Foreign Ministers meet and a few days later approve remaining 120,000;

9. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s statement on accepting Syrian refugees which, with the exception of Sweden, other heads of state do not follow;

10. November 11-12 Valletta Summit on Migration.

11. The Valletta Summit was preceded by painstaking work in preparatory consultations that have sought, first, to identify the policy challenges that confront the two regions and, second, to develop a common plan of action in response to these challenges. (In this regard, IOM had the privilege to participate actively in these meetings, and we have been impressed by the seriousness of intent of participants, and the level of honest and frank debate among them, and the manifest resolve to find workable solutions.

12. November 19 terrorist attack in Paris leading to a linkage in the public mind between refugees and migrations, on the one hand, and terrorism.

C. Evolution of Africa's Migration Policy

1. Inter-regional African Dialogue. RECs meeting at Accra, Ghana, in October. Visa-free relations among the various regions of Africa, e.g.

2. Migration questions feature increasingly in AU Summits that I have been attended for the past 10 years or so.

3. Diaspora Policy. Recognition of the resource of diaspora and the responsibility to encourage its nationals to remain in touch above and beyond remittances.

4. Greater attention to youth unemployment and job creation.

5. Public information about the dangers of irregular migration and smugglers.

6. Greater support for AVRR.

II. SUMMIT OUTCOMES

A. That this first EU-AU Summit on Migration took place at all is already, in itself, an achievement.

B. The Summit restored some equilibrium to the migration debate in bringing the central Mediterranean crossings by Africans back in to light.

C. Considering Europe’s offerings and Africa’s low expectations, the overall outcome was  positive, holding out the prospect for an ongoing, regular dialogue.

D. The plan of Action –  The plan subscribes to the view that a comprehensive long-term migration policy is needed.  The plan has four ambitious objectives:

First, ensuring that human rights are at the center of policy – respect of the human rights of all migrants in all situations and  categories together with the protection of refugees.

Second, attending to Root Causes to reduce the pressure to engage in irregular or forced migration. This is a long-term objective and will require sustained efforts, but the end objective must be to enable choice between migration and stay-at-home options.

Third, creating conditions for safe, orderly and legal migration. This requires that migration be integrated into economic and social and developmental planning.

Fourth, combating all forms of irregular and exploitative migration with renewed resolve, including assistance to victims and voluntary return with dignity and a chance to start life again.

E. The new EU Trust Fund.

III. POST-VALLETTA FOLLOW-UP

This leads me, therefore, to the most important follow-up action, which is to start implementing, without delay, the common Plan of Action.

A. follow-up sequel to the November Valletta Summit should be arranged in 2016 in order to maintain the momentum of Valletta and to review progress on implementation of the Plan of Action.

C.  The corollary to this is to establish a regular calendar of EU-AU meetings, at all levels, including technical and summit levels. A once-off Valletta Summit is unlikely to be sufficient to ensure a sustainable dialogue with longer-term results.

D.  Arriving at mutual understanding on a comprehensive, holistic, longer-term migration policies, plans and vision;

E. A public information, public education and awareness-raising program or campaign to help the general public understand government policy, the importance of migration to the national interests and abandon false stereotypes of migrants.

F. For our part, IOM will continue its engagement including MRRMS.  Our “Regional Response Plan” foresees 150 projects in 40 countries.  Also insofar as the parties desire us to do so. in meetings that can be arranged in the context of the UNGA, GFMD, and the fifteen RCPs for which IOM serves as informal Secretariat, we will support you.