Introduction

It is a distinct honor and privilege to be here with you at this high-level meeting on the outcomes of the UN General Assembly “Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants”. At IOM, we have great respect for GIZ and its important work throughout the world.

    I would like to make three points:

• The Crossroads: Global Migration Context
• The Path Taken: The 19 September Summit New York Declaration
• The Way Forward: IOM’s Role in the UN

I. THE CROSSROADS: A World on the Move

A. TheGlobal Migration Context

We live in a world on the move.  Numerically, there are more people migrating than at any other time in recorded history. This is largely due to the world’s population having quadrupled in the 20th century -- a phenomenon that is not likely to be repeated.

Given this situation on-going, largely negative debates on migration around the world, the world would appear to be at a crossroads: we are at a point at which a crucial decision must be made which will have far-reaching consequences. Do we want to see migration today as it always has been -- an historically positive force for our societies that can contribute to social diversity and economic development; or should we let others -- espousing populist nationalism -- continue to brand migration as a scourge that must be dispelled and halted at any cost? In other words, are we at a defining moment with regard to human mobility, or trapped in a long tunnel in which we yet see no light?

There are nearly 250 million international migrants, and some 750 million domestic migrants. In other words, there are 1 billion migrants in our 7 billion world. One in every seven persons on the globe is a migrant.

Were the international migrants to form themselves into a country, the population of “Migration-land” would be slightly less than that of Indonesia and slightly larger than the population of Brazil.

The “GDP” of these migrants in the form of remittances or money sent home of $500 billion would be roughly equivalent to the GDP of a small to medium size European country. At any rate, annual migrant remittances far exceed total foreign aid and are almost equal to the USD 646 billion in total Foreign Direct Investment in 2015. For a number of developing countries, migrant remittances are the major source of GDP.

As regards internal migration, China alone has more domestic migrants than the world has international migrants.  And China’s internal migrants face some of the same challenges as do international migrants: anti-migrant sentiment; language barriers; family separation; etc.

Migration is as old as humankind and its oldest poverty reduction strategy.

B. “Drivers” or root causes of migration

The motives for migrating our multiple and complex. For simplicity’s sake, I have reduced them to seven, all of which start with the letter “D”:

1. Demography:  an aging North in need of workers at all skill levels; and a youthful South in need of jobs;
2. Demand: labor shortages versus labor surplus;
3. Disparities: North – South socio—economic imbalances;
4. Distance-shrinking technology: cheap, rapid means of transport;
5. Digital revolution: instant communication and information;
6. Desperation: “survival” migration;
7. Disasters: natural and man-made.

C.  IOM’s Migration Thesis 

IOM has long-held that migration is not a problem to be solved or a crisis to be resolved but rather a human reality to be managed.

Our simple thesis has been that – – given all that we know – – migration is:

• Inevitable in view of the driving forces in an interconnected and interdependent world we have created;
• Necessary, if skills are to be available, jobs to be filled and economies to flourish; and,
• Desirable for (a) the contributions that migrants make both to countries of origin and destination and, (b) the benefits to migrants themselves and their families.

This is IOM’s vision for a world in which migration is well-governed. Well-governed migration is vital. Safe, orderly and regular migration should, therefore, be a high priority.
But how do we achieve safe, orderly, and regular migration, in an unsafe, disorderly and irregular world? Unfortunately a record number of persons -- some 65 million -- have been driven from their homes by man-made or natural conflicts and disasters. In other words, there are more people who have been displaced by persecution (some 25 million) or other forcible cause (some 40 million) than at any other time in recorded history.
 The timing, therefore, of the UN Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants which took place last 19 September was crucial.

II. THE PATH TAKEN: 19 September Summit - New York Declaration

At the UN Summit, the world came together for the first time in 72 years around the question of migrants and refugees. Also, for the first time, they reached agreement on one plan, heading in one direction.
Member States have reached agreement by consensus on a powerful outcome document. The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants expresses the political will of world leaders to save lives, protect rights and share responsibility on a global scale. The New York Declaration contains concrete plans to improve migration management. World leaders took the important decision to work towards the development of two much-needed international compacts:

• on one hand, a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration;
• and on the other, a Global Compact on Refugees based on the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework annexed to the Summit Declaration adopted on 19 September.

 The case for a Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is quite straight-forward. While migration is very much an integral part of our globalized world, all too often we deal with it in a disjointed way. There are numerous interested parties but insufficient coordination. The focus is too much on problems; too little on solutions. Governments continue to struggle to develop a comprehensive, long term vision for human mobility.

In today’s context, instead of purely reactive, populist and nationalistic policies and economic protection aimed at short-term objectives, the world needs a “high-road” agenda to get it off of the “low road” on which it is presently embarked.

Such a policy approach serves three major objectives:

1.       Addressing the drivers of migration to reduce forced and irregular migration;
2.       Facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration; and,
3.       Respecting the human rights of all migrants, whether regular or irregular.

In these regards, the New York Declaration contains bold commitments, it:

• establishes a framework for the protection of human rights of all migrants, regardless of status; 
• strengthens global governance of migration; and
• supports countries rescuing, receiving and hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants.

III. THE WAY FORWARD: IOM’s Role in the UN System

In its 65 years of existence, IOM has always worked closely with the United Nations. Having joined the UN, a new journey has begun. Now that IOM is part of the UN, our relations with UN partners will be even closer.
Our 165 member states’ decision for IOM to join the UN highlights two realities: first, it confirms the global importance of migration and migrants; and second, it validates the urgent need to link human mobility, as a quintessential crosscutting phenomena, with related policy agendas -- including humanitarian interventions, development, human rights, climate change and peace and security.

Although the New York Declaration establishes two global compacts: one for refugees and one for migrants, I have no doubt, however, that all parties, especially UNHCR and IOM, will work together for tailored, comprehensive and coherent people-centred responses to assist both migrants and refugees. To address large scale movements of migrants and refugees, commitment and partnership are vital.

IOM will support Member States with our technical and policy expertise to develop a Global Compact on Migration -- a  compact that:

• is grounded in the Sustainable Development Agenda; the Sendai Disaster Risk Reduction Framework; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda; and the Paris climate change agreement;
• addresses migration from a holistic perspective, including in its humanitarian, development, human rights, climate change and other dimensions;
• puts migrants at the center of our action;
• facilitates more opportunities for safe and regular migration, at all skills levels and for education and family unity;
• reduces the incidence and impacts of unsafe and irregular migration, including trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants; and
• promotes genuine partnership between countries of origin, transit and destination of migrants, as well as with civil society, the private sector, migrants and diaspora groups, in a spirit of mutual respect and solidarity;

I will (a) dedicate IOM’s International Dialogue on Migration in 2017 and in 2018, if needed, as a forum to discuss the elements of the proposed Global Compact; (b) work at the regional level with the 18 Regional Consultative Processes on Migration, the Regional Economic Communities, and inter-regional fora to foster regional dialogue and inputs to the Global Compact; and (c) work through our country offices in some 150 countries and some 500 sites to support national level consultations and input. 

The Migration Governance Framework adopted by IOM’s 165 Member States late last year provides an important foundation for our efforts, as do (a) the Migration Crisis Operational Framework (MCOF); (b) the Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disasters (MICIC); and (c) the Nansen Protection Agenda. 

Conclusion

Safe, orderly and regular human mobility can be one of the keys to a world in tune with itself. As we face unprecedented simultaneous, complex and protracted humanitarian emergencies, we must work together to tackle the root causes; turn migration challenges into opportunities through good governance; develop a broad, durable consensus among a wide constituency; and coherent, coordinated policies among partners.