International Migration Review Forum 2026 - Policy Debate

Good afternoon, everybody. The policy debate of the International Migration Review Forum is called to order. Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the IMRF 2026 policy debate. As the Director General of IOM and the Coordinator of the UN Migration Network, I have the honor to convene today's debate under the theme 360 degree root based implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Now, today's topic is one that was highlighted in the Secretary General's report in advance of the imrf. And it is something that the UN Network on Migration, which is a collective of UN agencies, has been advancing in recent years. So I encourage you engage proactively and candidly in today's discussion. Before we begin the debate, we will turn to a presentation of the summaries of the roundtables by the co chairs to the IMRF policy debate. So let us turn first to the statement of the co Chair of Roundtable number one, Azerbaijan. I now give the floor to His Excellency Vusal Hussainov, Chief of State Migration Service of Azerbaijan, one of the co chairs for Roundtable number one.

Thank you, Excellencies. Ladies and gentlemen, during the first roundtable of the Interventional Migration. Sorry. Okay, now it's better. During the first roundtable of the imrf, member states and stakeholders discuss the progress made in the implementation of objectives 2, 5, 6, 12 and 18 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, integrating in their discussions the 10 guiding principles of the GCM. During the roundtable, 80 member states and 10 stakeholders took the floor. They reiterated their support for the vision set forth by the GCM and for the objectives and considered under this roundtable, underlining their closely interlinked nature. Speakers shared many examples of progress and concrete actions taken to advance these objectives since the adoption of the gcm, but underlined the necessity of continued political will and practical solutions to close the remaining gap between the promises of the GCM for migration to be generally beneficial to all and realities on the ground, particularly in the context of reduced funding for Objective 2 on minimizing adverse drivers of migration. Progress was reported around integrating migration into sustainable development, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction planning, as well as creating decent job opportunities and entrepreneurship, especially for young people in rural areas in countries of origin, as well as aligning educational and labor market outcomes with the support of international partners. There was a clear consensus that migration should be a choice, not a necessity or a matter of survival. Challenges included limited capacities, while factors such as insecurity and inequalities increased migration pressures for Objective 5 on pathways for regular migration, progress was reported around bilateral and regional cooperation to provide opportunities for mobility, especially through bilateral labor migration agreements for structured labor mobility pathways. Pathways could be temporary or permanent pathways depending on context. The need for pathways to be responsive to emerging conditions, including humanitarian situations and align with labor market demands were highlighted. Many speakers recognized that the regular pathways helped reduce irregular migration. Challenges included ensuring pathways meet the needs of the moment, included the most vulnerable and enabling stakeholders to inform policies. For Objective 6 on recruitment and decent work, labor migration was recognized as a structural feature of an interconnected economy. Progress was reported around multi stakeholder collaboration to protect migrant workers abroad and ensure decent work through measures such as pre departure orientation and information provision, consular protection and efforts to reduce recruitment fees and costs based on the principle that no worker should have to pay for a job. Several speakers discussed measures to prevent exploitation, ensure migrant access to formal jobs including through regularization to help protect their rights and strengthen contributions of countries of destination and to eliminate discriminations. Challenges included continued concentration of migrants in employment that didn't respect their fundamental rights at work, lack of involvement of key stakeholders in policymaking, barriers to changing employers, limited labor inspection capacity and differential treatment for temporary migrant workers. For Objective 12 Uncertainty and Predictability on migration procedures, progress was reported around use of technology for ensuring transparency and predictability in migration processes and reducing processing times. Inter ministerial coordination was emphasized as a means of simplifying procedures and ensuring appropriate service delivery. Challenges included continuing silos as well as procedures that in some cases remained inadequate to needs. For Objective 18 on skills development and recognition, progress was reported around aligning educational outcomes with relevant skill frameworks and ensuring skill development as a means of promoting migrants rights, especially migrant domestic workers. Speakers noted that access to formal and non formal education to migrants supported their labor market integration and reintegration into countries of origin, unlocking their potential to contribute to development and growth and respond to emerging trends such as green jobs. Technology underpinned by strengthened trust was noted as an accelerator of progress towards mutually beneficial skills mobility partnerships. Challenges included a lack of social dialogue which hindered the use of detailed knowledge of skill needs and opportunities to guide policies throughout intervention. Speakers reiterated the importance and practical value of pursuing people centered human rights based approaches and advancing action through whole of government and whole of society approaches. Speakers spoke to the need for continued international and regional cooperation and as well as migration dialogues focused on specific migration corridors. Many speakers underlined the need for child sensitive responses and to safeguard family unity in the context of migration for rights and social cohesion. They noted that digitalization and technological advances open new opportunities to develop more efficient migration management systems, but cautioned that adequate safeguards must be put in place, including related to integrity and transparency of systems and tools and migrant data protection and protecting against online scams and fraudulent recruitment. Speakers further reiterated the need for more and better data to anticipate and design forward looking and adaptive evidence based policies and responses to rapidly changing context and migration patterns. That's the wrap up of Roundtable discussion and I thank you very much.

I thank the co chair of Roundtable 1 for his presentation and I now give the floor to His Excellency Bart van der Brink, Minister of Asylum and Migration and Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and to Her Excellency Patricia Natali Godinez, Vice Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility of El Salvador, Co Chairs of Roundtable two.

Thank you very much Ms. Pope, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, during Roundtable 2 of the International Migration Review Forum, Member States and stakeholders discussed the progress made in the implementation of objectives 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 and 21 of the GCM, 20 member states, one intergovernmental organization, three UN agencies and three stakeholders provided interventions. From the floor. Speakers reaffirmed strong support for the gcm, acknowledging progress since its adoption. Notable events include improved border management, expanded access to documentation, increased alternatives to detention, particularly of children, and stronger efforts to combat trafficking and smuggling. Migration was widely framed as a shared global issue requiring coordinated international cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination. Challenges mentioned included dangerous migrant routes, migrant deaths, exploitation, limited legal pathways, gaps in legal identity systems and increasingly sophisticated criminal networks using new technologies. Priority areas highlighted included strengthened action against smuggling and trafficking, improving return and reintegration systems, expanding legal identity systems including birth registration, advancing digital identity and legal forms reforms, and enhancing mechanisms to save lives and address missing migrants. Participants also emphasized reducing irregular migration. Additional emphasis was placed on expanding alternatives to detention, especially child detention, and strengthening international cooperation and long term funding. Overall, the discussion underscored that the key challenge is no longer agreeing on commitments but ensuring effective implementation, building migration systems that are coordinated, humane and right based while maintaining credible migration governance. For Objective four on legal identity, progress was primarily reported around improving and simplifying more speedy processes for accessing legal identity documentation for migrants and diaspora populations, including both digital and non digital options, improving birth registration and mobile outreach, and strengthening consular networks. Challenges included ensuring access to legal documentation for migrants in situations of vulnerability, including retinues and children born abroad. For Objective 8 on saving lives and missing migrants, progress was primarily reported around search and rescue of migrants at high seas and tracing missing migrants. Challenges included the continued loss of lives and migrants, disappearedness and lack of access to resources for searching, inaccessibility of consular support and information for affected communities. For Objective 9 on smuggling of migrants, progress was primarily reported around law enforcement efforts to dismantle networks and ensure protection and assistance to migrants and victims of crime, regional cooperation and route based approaches, information exchange on good in detention, protection and prosecution, tackling root causes and expansion of irregular pathways through bilateral labor agreements. Challenges included the adoption of smuggling networks including technically facilitated migrant smuggling, limited and accessible regular migration pathways and abuses against migrants in transit and a demand for migrant smuggling in the emerging trend of reverse migration. For Objective 10 on Trafficking in persons, progress was primarily reported around strengthening of legislative frameworks, implementation of the non punishment principle, international cooperation in the provision of actionable intelligence and support and facilitation of the information exchange and challenges included increased trafficking in persons for forced labor, exploitation in online scamming operations, harmful gender norms which increase exposure to exploitation, notably migrant domestic workers and violence against shelled migrants and I now pass the floor to my colleague from El Salvador for the second part of the summary.

Foreign.

Excellency Distinguished colleagues as regards objective 11 manage borders, the debate was focused around modernizing borders and comprehensive border control mechanisms and specialized training for border guards and order agents. The main challenge was guaranteeing due process and human rights and dignified treatment of migrants at the border. In relation to Goal 13 Alternatives to detention progress was essentially focused on establishing alternatives to detention atd, especially for children and adolescents, ensuring their inclusion in child protection schemes and care in the community, with some States having taken action against child attention, ensuring peer to peer discussion on the subject and achieving commitments in alternative to attention and putting an end to child migrant attention. Challenges include cuts to international cooperation, budgets and resource reduction for alternatives on Objective 21 dignified return and reintegration. Progress was focused on processes and agreements for return, being respectful of rights, developing national reintegration plans, programs for adapted integration plans that are locally based, including links to decent work for returnees and mutual recognition of qualifications and support for entrepreneurship. Challenges included some major gaps in social reintegration and economic reintegration. There were also suggestions in additional implementations. Especially Member States highlighted the the need to improve access for migrants to legal identity documents in order to ensure their possibility for inclusion and then for international cooperation for saving lives including search and rescue and support for families establishing international cooperation to address trafficking for exploitation and online scams, more information about trafficking, the prevention of exploitation amongst low qualified workers, especially female migrant workers who are migrating for domestic work prioritizing an end to child migration detention, investment in services who receive returnees and to make their reintegration sustainable and ensuring that technological progress on the border should be accompanied by robust safeguards. Interested party stakeholders essentially highlighted the following how political pressure has led to a deterioration of human rights protections for migrants the need to eliminate linked visas and allowing extended access to justice extended stays including compensation guaranteeing the inclusion of disability in all responses to the principle of non reformance. To ensure the overriding best interest of the child in all circumstances including child detention on the water and to ensure support in the community Child migrant detention must end it should end using or community alternatives the that have been proved that support the well being of children and adolescents and their families while guaranteeing fulfillment of migration processes and ensuring that returns to third countries are being aware of these risks regardless of what the safeguards may be. Towards the end of this discussion Announcer we discussed the future possibilities. We think it will be important for States to invest in inclusive systems for legal identity. This includes a National Register of Births, fully implementing actionable recommendations of the CGM on how to save lives and on missing migrants and taking action to effectively dismantle transnational criminal networks involved in the trafficking of people and the illicit trafficking and smuggling of migrants based on root based methods and to put an end to child migration detention as well as assistance for reintegration that will support means for sustainable lives and restore dignity and strengthen international cooperation continuously. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I thank the Co Chairs of Roundtable two for their presentation. I now give the floor to His Excellency Bernard Mohamed Doro, Minister of Humanitarian affairs and Poverty Reduction of Nigeria, Co chair of Roundtable 3.

Sorry about that. Thank you, Ms.

Pop.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, during roundtable three of the International Migration Review Forum, Member States and stakeholders discuss the progress made in the implementation of objectives 14, 15, 16, 19, 20 and 22 of the global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. GCM Integrating India discussions the 10 guiding principles of the GCM for Objective 14 on consular protection Assistance and Cooperation, progress was primarily reported around strengthening consular services and capacities to assist nationals abroad, including moving from reactive consular responses to a strategic preventive diaspora governance approach, expanding digital platforms and communication channels, developing and improving data systems and strengthening emergency response capacity. Challenges included the need to complement digital tools with trained personnel to adopt multisectoral approaches and ensure sustained Investment. For Objective 15 on providing access to basic services, progress was reported in expanding access to health and education, with speakers highlighting capacity building, regularization and steps to integrate migrant health into national systems. Challenges included barriers to access basic services, discrimination and lack of transparent information throughout the migration cycle. For Objective 16 on Full Inclusion and social cohesion, progress was reported on inclusion through intercultural efforts, participation of migrants in policy development and civic participation. It was recognized that inclusion also underpins effective diaspora engagement. There was a call to expand such initiatives and increase investment. For Objective 19 on migrants and diaspora contribution to sustainable development, progress was reported around the establishment of diaspora institutions, policies and financial instruments. Growing recognition of diasporas as strategic partners and co investors rather than mere beneficiaries of protection was noted. Challenges included fragmented frameworks, weak institutional coordination, limited data on diaspora investment and barriers hindering the participation of women and Youth. For Objective 20 on Promoting Faster and cheaper remittance transfers and ensuring migrants financial inclusion, progress was primarily reported around declining transfer costs and the expansion of digital payment ecosystems. The growing integration of remittances into national financial inclusion strategies and rural development policies was highlighted. Challenges included high transfer costs in certain corridors, notably sub Saharan Africa, gender and rural urban divides, uneven digital infrastructure and the need to better link remittance flows to decent work creation in countries of origin. For objective 22 on establishing mechanisms for the probability of Social Security benefits, progress was reported around the expansion of bilateral and multilateral Social Security agreements and the gradual integration of migrants into contributory and non contributory protection schemes, emphasizing that social protection is a human right. Challenges included limited portability agreements, administrative barriers and the exclusion of informal migrant workers. Suggestions were made on how to advance the implementation of the gcm. Combating misinformation, xenophobia and negative narratives was underscored as was the need to improve data collection. Strong calls were made to match ambition with resources and to strengthen multi level cooperation. Stakeholders pointed that rights based inclusion must materialize to protect migrant workers from exploitation and guarantee labor rights to ensure non discriminatory access to services such as health, education, legal aid, regardless of status, to invest in local well resourced integration and social cohesion and to strengthen consular protection. Youth stressed closing the commitments implementation gap through meaningful participation and data accountability. During discussions, 20 member states and four stakeholders took the floor. Member States and stakeholders reaffirmed commitments including through financial contributions, technical assistance and capacity building and partnerships. Based on the discussion during this roundtable, one overarching message for the policy debate is that all migrants, irrespective of status, should have access to services for the benefit of migrants and communities alike. Thank you so much.

I thank the co chair of Roundtable three for his presentation. I Now give the floor to Her Excellency Elma Saif Delgado, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration of Spain, Co Chair of Roundtable four.

Gracias.

Thank you very much Excellencies. Ladies and gentlemen. During Round Table four of the Review Forum, Member States and stakeholders discussed the implementation of goals 1, 3, 7, 17 and 23 of the global Compact for Safe all the and regular migration, including the 10 key principles of the compact itself. Three UN agencies and three stakeholders as well as the UN agencies made sense statement on Objective 1. They talked about progress in their data systems and greater inter institutional coordination. They highlighted key tools that are evidence based in developing indicators for the Compact and approving international updated standards with an innovative approach such as the ethical use of macro data and digital technology. It also mentioned gaps in comparability, sufficient data about migrants in vulnerable situations, especially women and children limited capacity to formulate policy that is evidence based, recognising alternative data sources, institutional fragmentation and concerns about privacy and Data Protection. On Objective 3, they highlighted the expansion of digital platforms and multi service support stations across the route and community dissemination. These efforts have improved access to reliable multilingual data that is digitally accessible throughout the migration cycle. However, there are still challenges such as limited reach in the context of crisis and the need for firewalls between the provision of services and implementation legislation. On Objective 7 Reducing Vulnerabilities, we heard about broadening protection services including health and education and legal support. We also highlighted growing expansion of regularization systems as a way of preventing vulnerabilities. You also heard about a gender and child sensitive approach to strengthen ID mechanisms. Nevertheless, there are still critical gaps with uneven implementation, restrictive migration policies that exacerbate vulnerabilities and limit access to justice and persistent risks for persons with vulnerabilities including women, children, victims of trafficking, also issues related to technology. Some are in particular precarious positions such as in care work, domestic work or the agricultural sector. Under Objective 17, eliminating discrimination in all of its intersectional forms and promoting public discourse that is evidence based, the Roundtable highlighted progress in strengthening legislation against discrimination, awareness campaigns and multi stakeholder actions to end xenophobia, racism and disinformation. However, there are still significant challenges. These include an increase of anti immigrant sentiment, persistence of discrimination and continued dissemination of harmful narratives both on and offline. On objective 23 strengthening international cooperation and global partnerships, progress has been made in cooperation throughout the migration route and mixed contests. We have strengthened protection mechanisms on the border and for entry systems. Challenges include building local alliances, but through structural reforms and aligned follow up systems and by incorporating human rights based approaches that are sensitive to childhood with a gender approach and that always evidence base that is the future. We highlighted a role for governments, the need for more investment in capacity, better data systems and strengthened international cooperation. Key stakeholders highlighted the need for more robust accountability mechanisms, greater support for civil society for local actors, and greater inclusion of the voices of migrants themselves. When policy is being designed and ensuring stakeholders to protect human rights, including in the use of new technologies, both member states and a broad range of stakeholders took the floor and made concrete commitments. These include strengthening data systems, reliable data systems, ensuring and improving protection for vulnerable migrants, combating discrimination, going deeper in international and regional agreements through formal agreements. Looking to the future, it would also be important to support commitments through measurable actions that strengthen cooperation and ensuring that governance of migration is firmly rooted in human rights with evidence based policies to ensure policies are inclusive at all levels. You thank.

Thank you.

Muchos gracias to the coach on table four for her presentation. This now concludes the presentation of the technical summaries of the roundtables. Now, excellencies, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, friends, before we begin today's discussion, let me start by stating something on which we all agree. We actually don't have a shortage of commitments on migration. If anything, we have the most comprehensive framework that we've ever had, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. And the challenge that we face today is something else. It's how we make these commitments work in practice, on the ground. Because if we're honest, eight years after the adoption of the gcm, implementation is still uneven. It's fragmented, and too often it's not connecting across borders in the very way that migration itself does. And that matters, because migration in and of itself, it's not abstract. It's not about statistics. Statistics. It's at its heart about people. People who are moving, people who are moving across regions, people who are moving across borders. And along the way, so many of those people are facing exploitation, violence, detention, abuse, and far too many are losing their lives. And governments, whether from countries of origin, from transit, from destination, are struggling, struggling to deal with the pressure and the fallout. Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues, these outcomes are not inevitable. They happen when systems do not connect, when protection stops at borders, and when cooperation is not keeping pace with reality. So the question that we're really trying to answer today, the question on the table for debate, is how do we make sure that the way we work together on migration actually matches the way migration happens? That's where the idea of the roots based approach comes in. At its core, it's intuitive. Migration, by its definition, doesn't happen just in one place. It unfolds along a journey from the roots. The Racine, the R O O T s, the reasons that people move, whether it's violence, it's lack of opportunity, it's the impact of a changing climate to the risks and the opportunities that they face and as they move along their journey to what they encounter when they arrive and how well they can ultimately reintegrate when they go home. A roots based approach asks us to look at that full journey and to make sure that our responses are connected across it, no matter who you are or in which seat you're sitting, whether a government, civil society, a UN organization, a partner, or a migrant herself. In doing so, IT operationalizes the GCM's objectives in a concrete, geographically grounded way, translating commitments that we're making at a global level into real coordinated action where migration is actually happening. Now, there are many migratory routes and sub routes across the world today, and they constantly evolve. Today there are seven key inter regional routes where movements and especially irregular movements are highly concentrated and frankly, where the stakes are high for those who are on the move. And let me be clear, these routes are not just south to north, they're south, south, they're east to west, they're west to East. Since 2025, we've documented at least 1.25 million movements along these seven routes. And our analysis is showing that violence, economic pressures and climate stress remain the dominant, dominant drivers, particularly of irregular migration. And that while policy and border cooperation are significantly altering flows, the risks, especially for the migrant, persist. Since the GCM was adopted, over 55,000 people, 55,000 mothers, families, fathers, children, sisters and brothers have lost their lives or they've disappeared during the migration journey. And frankly, the full extent of this tragedy is certainly much larger. And I want to underscore something that I know is important for so many of you who are here today. Many of these key roots involve mixed movements. People who will qualify as refugees, people who will qualify as migrants. And we must not only support but fully respect the distinct legal frameworks and the protections and the mandates that will apply to each. So let me be clear. This root based approach is not about creating something new. It's not about creating something complicated or bureaucratic. It's not a new structure. It's not about questioning national priorities or infringing on national sovereignty, and it's not a donor agenda. This approach was developed with and by countries across the Full spectrum countries of origin, countries of transit, countries of destination. Because the problems that it addresses are shared problems. The priorities that it's reflecting are those that governments themselves have identified through the GCM process and through the regional consultations. External partners, including IOM and our broader UN Network on Migration. We're here to support national and regional leadership, we're not here to drive it. In many ways, this approach is the opposite of, of top down. It's about building on what already exists and connecting the efforts so that they actually work across borders. Now, what it means in practice is quite straightforward. It means that countries and partners are working together along specific routes to better understand who is moving and why, to better address the real drivers of migration before people leave, to identify the risks and the vulnerabilities and the opportunities that exist to strengthen protection across the journey, not just at one point. And importantly, to create safer and regular options for migration, including by investing in and strengthening regional economies so that people don't rely on dangerous alternatives. And it means making sure that what happens in one country supports and doesn't undermine what others are doing. Now, I want to be clear, none of this is going to happen overnight. Root based cooperation depends on something that takes time. It depends on trust. Trust between countries that may not always see migration in the same way. Trust that information can be shared responsibly, trust that cooperation will be mutually beneficial. And that trust is built gradually through practical cooperation, through shared investment and through delivering results over time. So what does that mean for all of us who are gathered here in this room? It means that we need to make some very concrete choices, to invest in cooperation that is sustained, not one off, to improve how we share information and data, particularly on risks and vulnerabilities, to back evidence based interventions that deliver results and to put real support behind this, including financial support for the systems that make cooperation possible. And perhaps most importantly, it means being willing to look honestly at where the gaps are and to work together to address them. If we can do this, the impact will be quite significant. We can move from disconnected responses to coordinated systems, from short term reactions to predictable longer term cooperation, and from managing risk to actually reducing risk. And ultimately, together we can make sure that the rights and dignities of migrants are protected not just in one place, but throughout their journey. Now, the UN Network on Migration, we stand ready to support that effort as a connector, as an enabler, as a platform for implementation. We have so many tools and initiatives in place that can help to move this to scale. And the draft Progress declaration already Anchors this approach in the global framework. It's a strong signal of political will and a clear basis to move from fragmented action. To truly connected responses across and along the migration route. So today's debate is gonna focus on three core issues. Number one, Addressing the drivers of irregular migration. Two, Providing assistance and protection along the migratory routes. Three, Strengthening roots based governance and accountability. And I very much look forward to hearing your perspectives and ideas today. Thank you. So now, the moment we've been waiting for. We will begin our panel discussion on operationalizing a roots based approach to strengthen implementation of the global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. And I am very honored and privileged to welcome to this panel discussion this distinguished group of representatives. And I will introduce them one by one. Number one, Her Excellency Rosa Yolanda Villas Vicenzo. Minister of Foreign affairs of Colombia. Mr. Magnus Bruner, Commissioner for Internal affairs and Migration of the European Commission. Mr. Rosario Velasro, President of the Italian Red Cross. Ms. Amina Buayash, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco. And Chairperson of the Global alliance of National Human Rights Institutions. Now, before we begin the discussion.

Should I go to this one?

Now, before we begin the discussion, I'd like to remind delegations there is no pre established list of speakers. So participants are encouraged to engage interactively and avoid reading from your written statement. Delegations who wish to take the floor after the presentation by panelists. Are invited to press the microphone button starting now. Those speaking on behalf of a group should approach the Secretariat to be given priority in the speaking order. To allow maximum participation by all members are requested to limit their interventions to five minutes when speaking on behalf of a group. And three minutes when speaking in a national capacity. And time limits will be strictly enforced through an automatic microphone cutoff. To assist speakers with time management. A timer will be projected on the screenshot. I thank you for your cooperation. So I'm turning now to our panelists. And I would ask our panelists to observe the agreed time limit of five minutes. I now give the floor to the Minister of Foreign Relations of Colombia.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. I bring a very special greeting here to my panelists from the Ministry, the European Ministry and Mr. Valastro, President of the Italian Red Cross. And Ms. Amina Bouillacci, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco. And Chairperson of the Global alliance of National Human Rights Institution. And Madam Chair. Thank you also to the IOM for inviting us here to share our thoughts on the Review Forum on International Migration. We're very pleased also that we have a very dynamic presence here from civil society who are represented through different human rights defenders platforms and different geographical groups being represented here and also working towards safe and orderly and regular migration and ensuring a human, holistic, human rights based approach for Colombia. This is not an innovation in Colombia. We are a country where we have become a sending country, a receiving country, a transit country. Our geographical and geostrategic position has also led us in our fairly recent past to experience very complex transit migration. And this has led us to modern day Colombia. And we have implemented a number of very concrete programs for training and awareness raising, awareness campaigns to ensure safe and orderly migration and to warn people about the immense difficulties that that they could face and that families have faced in traveling through the tropical regions and Panama and other countries. And we have seen the flow of migrants being significantly reduced. We've also had other experiences as a country and there are other things that we can share. Another key point is the structure of our comprehensive policy. All of the different norms in tackling what human mobility means in our region, in our country. So we think that people arriving in significant numbers from Venezuela, for instance, all of these individuals were documented. They had the support of Colombian institutions to ensure that they would be included in society. And documentation is the key aspect of any process of inclusion or integration into society or the workforce. And so I want, want to just underscore this key point. More decisive cooperation is necessary to reduce irregular adoption of irregular pathways for migration and to ensure that labor migration and convenience conventions that allow us to ensure training for migrants is very important so that migrants can get jobs and contribute to their own well being and that of their family and also make a contribution in their host countries. This would help us ensure labor mobility through regular pathways. Training is also another crucial tool for reducing risks and combating problems such as trafficking, the illegal smuggling of migrants to help these individuals contribute to the development of society. We've also talked about the causes. Amongst the causes is a need for sustainable development policies that bear in mind the different perspectives from different territories. Public policy should take into account a comprehensive approach. The lack of development, the lack of opportunities, in our case in the region, The very long standing presence of illegal groups, political violence, these have all been drivers, these have all been causes of despair. And this has driven many families to go to other countries to seek a future. And I think today addressing these root causes has been really crucial in helping this government achieve peace and achieve agreements and ensure major programs for crop substitutions for illegal crops. And all of this has allowed us to give people opportunities to contribute in the legal economy and achieve greater stability. And this is where people can find opportunities for their own personal professional development, especially young people. And this is why ensuring that migration policy is joined up is connected across all of the different stakeholders active in this area is an important part of the policies that we're driving. And we think that it's had a very positive impact, a good way of addressing these root causes. Nevertheless, the desire sometimes to move from one place to another is innate to the human being. This has happened many times over the course of history, and this is why protection on migration routes is also important. And this is why we have a shared responsibility in meeting the needs of migrants even before they leave, if they are economic or professional, moving for labor reasons. So more labor mobility agreements, especially with those countries where there is a demand for labor in certain sectors. For instance, there are in Europe many people from Latin America. They are all involved in care work and in the healthcare industry, a large number of them. And so there is a system whereby their qualifications can be recognized, and that means that they continue on their professional pathways or even advanced further. And they don't have to start from scratch because their qualifications or their professional history is recognized. These labour mobility agreements, we have signed a number with different countries. We have one with Portugal, with Spain, also as part of the convention with the eu. This is also something that's reflected in the negotiations. And we think that this is a very useful starting point that reduces all of the risks associated with irregular migration. Thirdly, strengthening governance and accountability is absolutely crucial on the migrant routes. This requires involvement from states and regional mechanisms. While they may already exist, they need to be strengthened together with the UN system and civil society and local communities. They also play a fundamental role. As we've heard, governance should also include migrants associations and any NGOs who are working to ensure or to reduce the social costs of irregular migration. Improving the quality and availability of data and exchange of information, responsible use of this data as well, and using all of this to inform public policies to make it more humane and effective, countering stigmatizing narratives that associate migration with threats to the nation or. Unique identity we understand today. Multiculturality is an essential concept, but there are harmful narratives and they are sometimes heard in political context. And they do cause a lot of damage in societies because it does lead to a weakening of social cohesion and democratic values. It also makes it more difficult to cooperate and it undermines the principles of the global compact that all of the United nations countries have signed onto. And Colombia Reaffirms our commitment to values based and objective and evidence based public discourse that is rooted in human rights and greater solidarity in our countries. We also call for strengthening of mechanisms for implementing the Global Compact including the United Nations Network on Migration and the Multipartite Trust Fund as key instruments for sustaining and supporting this cooperation aimed at positive results and social inclusion for migrants. We also think this is an opportunity to make progress in in terms of the specific needs, specific circumstances of certain countries as a result of their colonial history or because of their geography. This can be a major opportunity for a new approach where countries who require labor from other countries and sending countries who want to offer more opportunities to their population and don't have the same degree of labor or social inclusion. We think that human mobility and these shared needs. I think there is a real opportunity for building a more respectful relationship on an equal footing where everybody can benefit and everybody wins from better governance of migration and we can make the global compact a reality. Thank you.

Muchas gracias. Her Excellency Rosa Yolanda Villavincencio for sharing what Colombia has learned about building governance systems that work across across the full continuum of migration route and where cross border cooperation has still fallen short. We appreciate that intervention. I now give the floor to Mr. Magnus Bruner, the Commissioner for Internal affairs and Migration of the European Commission to speak to what governance or financing innovations are needed to make route based cooperation predictable and durable, particularly to expand regular pathways and reduce unsafe and irregular, irregular movements of people. The floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Amy. And also for giving us strict rules when it comes to talking, because as politicians we tend to talk a bit too long sometimes. That's okay for today, but also thanks to you also for sharing this and conveying this really important debate. Because I think this debate gives us the the opportunity also to reflect on what actually works and what doesn't work when it comes to the global migration governance altogether. I think this is important to listen to each other also where we have good results, where we have maybe things to do, room for improvement as we call it. And if we look at the route based approach, it all starts actually from quite a simple but very important insight. And if we talk about illegal migration, I start with that point. Illegal migration is not limited to one border or one country. That's actually quite a simple perspective. But it is important, I think to point out. So that is why I think effective governance altogether must follow actually the same logic. Intervening early, working comprehensively also and engaging all actors along the whole route, not just at its end points. And it is, I think a joint responsibility for all of us. All actors on the route, on the route have to play their role also. And this means first of all, I think working at the source, of course, addressing actually the drivers that compel people to leave. That's poverty, of course, that's insecurity, that's lack of opportunities also, but also giving, I would say giving information about the risks of illegal migration on the other side and also preventing high risk departures. Route based governance, I think that starts only at the transit stage has already arrived, I would say too late for many. Secondly, I think it also means working along the route actually itself with transit countries on protection, for instance, on access to basic services, also creation of opportunities on capacity building for border management that is also important, reception and asylum. And also on search and rescue, of course, and with all countries along the route, be it the region, be it transit, be it destination, also on dismantling the smuggling networks, we really have to fight against that because they actually exploit the vulnerability for profit, for their own profit at the end of the day. So every smuggling trip which can be avoided is actually potentially a life saved also at the end of the day. And that is why the Global alliance to counter Migrant Smuggling strengthened actually at the last meeting at the December 2025 Ministerial Conference is so important. It's such an important tool I think we have all together. It builds actually the structure then the long term international cooperation framework that that route based governance actually requires. Also bringing together the partners across origin, across transit, across destination, also in a. I would say in a shared commitment to disrupt the criminal networks. Thirdly, I think it also means making arrival and returns work. A route based framework that does not address what happens to those without the right to stay is quite incomplete I would say. So the readmission of own nationals is an obligation under customary international law also. And that's why effective returns are actually part of, of what makes safe, orderly, regular migration actually possible. So it's the basis for everything. And also I would say reinstalls trust in the whole system and that's what we need. We need trust in the system. We need to show the people that they can trust our systems altogether. And fourthly, and lastly, I think it also means ensuring legal alternatives along along the route. Route based governance that only manages illegal movements without also structuring legal movement will always be actually fighting the symptom rather than the cause at the end of the day. So thanks very much again Amy for convening this very important debate. Thank you. Also for the good cooperation we, we had in the past and we will have in the future, of course, as well. Because international organizations like the IOM have a central role to play, I would say, in making all this work. Your operational presence across the routes, your relationship with the governments, with the communities, and also your convening role. Make the international organizations, I would say, uniquely placed to support the kind of structured and also sustained cooperation that route based governance actually requires at the end of the day. So thank you very much again, I'm sure, and I hope that this debate will bring awareness, I would say, about the need to work together across routes and also shed a light, maybe to more effective ways of doing that altogether. Thank you.

I thank you, Commissioner Bruner. And I now give the floor to Mr. Rosario Valastro, President of the Italian Red Cross. This is one of the organizations that provides frontline humanitarian protection and assistance. And she'll speak, speak to what he sees when he sees migrants at some of the most dangerous points on their journey. Where his root based coordination made a tangible difference in protecting migrants. And what are the most critical protection and assistance gaps that you see today?

Thank you, Madam Director General, Ministers, Excellencies, colleagues. I'm very honored to contribute to this dialogue on behalf of. Of International Federation of Red Cross Crescent Societies and my own Italian Red Cross. And let me speak from my own experience, experience that was born on the field. Since June 2023, the Italian Red Cross has managed the reception hotspot in the small island of Lampedusa. A small island, but with a big heart. That is the door of entrance of one of the migration routes you mentioned before. In three years, we have supported more than 180,000 people. We have provided immediate humanitarian services and care, health, food, psychological support and legal information. We help people restore contact with the families who have waited months for news. That phone call home, that simple message, I am alive, can end profound anguish. Yet those years have taught me something. What the Italian Red Cross does at the point of arrival is necessary. But it is not enough. And it cannot be enough. The people we support did not begin their journey at our shores. They came from Libya, through Niger, across the sail, through Sudan. Along the way, their suffering, accumulated hunger, injury, fear, exploitation and too often, the loss of loved ones. Across thousands of the family members lost along the way, across thousands of kilometers and countless borders. At each of these points, even the most basic protection and assistance could have made a difference, changed an outcome. This is the case for a root beer basic approach. And this is not only about the Central Mediterranean people are dying and suffering on routes the world beryl seas in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, across the Sahara, on the eastern route, through Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen. The people on these routes have the same claim to safety, dignity and protection. A genuinely global route based approach means meeting people wherever danger exists, extending attention, humanitarian support and protection across all migration routes, not only those the world chooses to watch. The IFRC Global Route Migrations Program is how we put this into practice, grounded on our principles and in the specific strengths of our network. National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies are not deployed in response to crisis. They are permanently present in the communities where crises begin. They are trusted because they are local. They have access because they are neutral. They work alongside governments while maintaining the independence to serve anyone in need, regardless of status. Now extending through 2030, the program brings together 66 national societies across Africa, Europe, the Middle east and the Americas. In 2025 we reached more than 1.1 million people. Hundreds of humanitarian service points provide protection, health care, psychological support, family reunification, legal orientation without fear of arrest or detention. National societies share information and analysis across borders as the Djibouti Red Crescent, Ethiopia Red Cross and Somali Red Crescent formalized in a Memorandum of understanding in 2025 continues. Connected people centered support that is the rules based approach in action. To take this word further, the IFRC launched its Global Migration and Displacement platform this week. Linking humanitarian action along migration routes with resilience in communities of origin so that movement is a genuine choice rather than a necessity and with inclusion and dignity in destination community. Madam President, the IFRC network approach does not stand alone. We are part of a broader ecosystem complementary to UN agencies, specialized NGOs and local civil society and mapping exercises of services have been conducted. The GCM created the architecture for exactly this kind of multi actor, multi country route based cooperation. Upon consideration, the Progress Declaration commits Member States to it by name. For the first time we look the states and partners to commit in three specific ways. First, implement the Secretary General's recommendation on saving migrants lives at the operational core of route based cooperation, ensuring access to protection and assistance along perilous routes and including humanitarian actors in coordination mechanisms. Second, build the cross border frameworks that route based coordination requires, backed by the human rights commitments and humanitarian principles the CCM reaffirms. Third, recognize local actors, including Red Cross, Red Crescent, national societies and migrants themselves as essential partners in the design and delivery of route based responses. The people most affected by gaps in protection along routes are the ones best placed to Identify solutions. Meaningful participation is not a principle to be noted. It is what makes responses work. Route based cooperation can sound technical, but what it means in practice is wherever a person is on their journey, they should be able to access assistance and protection. To do this, we need connected approaches. We need route based cooperation. The Progress Declaration now commits member States to the same. We ask them to honor that with access, with governance, and with genuine partnership with local actors who are already on the ground. I thank you.

I thank Mr. Valastro for his intervention. And I now give the floor to Ms. Amina Buayash, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco and Chairperson of the Global alliance of national human rights institutions. Ms. Bouayas, as a representative of the national human rights institutions, who are often uniquely positioned to document what happens to migrants between the policy commitment states make and the reality of the ground, can speak to how NHRIs can contribute to strengthening accountability, independent monitoring within a roots based framework.

Thank you very much, Director General. Madam, ladies and gentlemen. Your Excellencies, first and foremost on behalf of national human rights institutions, like to thank you for this opportunity to share with this distinguished room and in this space of dialogue and exchange, to share with you our considerations regarding the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration. During this forum, ladies and gentlemen, several participants have shared very significant concerns. Sometimes we've heard stories marked by human tragedies that were extremely serious, particularly upsetting individual stories, but also specific examples of national practices and coalition based initiatives. And also a renewal of commitments after the adoption of the Global Compact for migration adopted in 2018 in Marrakech. All of this, ladies and gentlemen, strongly reminds us the extent to which the challenges are needing urgent attention. A real pathway between state, society and individuals. National human rights institutions, so that are part of the gnri, Global association of National Human Rights Institutions, all rally every day. They accompany victims, they document situations, they lobby the authorities, and they bring these concerns to the national and international levels. As we are doing today. The objective of the national human rights institutions is clear. To reduce this ongoing gap between commitments made by states and the reality lived on the ground. Whatever people's origin or status, the exchanges that I've had with my colleagues and some of them are here today,

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specific action taken on the ground. Identifying systemic lacunae, developing monitoring tools, fostering new approaches for migration management, transforming isolated cases into real opportunities for people to take responsibility, rethinking migration governance. These are all things that are being worked on. Strengthening dialogue with states, to advocate for public policies based on a human rights approach and Encourage States to implement appropriate national consultation mechanisms. International human rights institutions, or rather national human rights institutions, ladies and gentlemen, play a key role in accountability. They ensure monitoring of recommendations of their own reports and reports of treaty bodies. They facilitate access for victims to effective recourse. Aware, ladies and gentlemen, of the particular importance of the linkage between binding instruments such as the Committee for, or rather the Conventions on Migrant Workers and the Global Compact. Aware of this linkage, the National Human Rights Commission in Morocco that's heading up the Working Group on African Network for Migration has assisted the UN Committee on the Protection of Migrant Workers in Drafting General Comment 6. From this same standpoint, a cooperation agreement was signed in Rabat in 2024 between the committee and the African National Institutions for Human Rights to strengthen coordination and shared action regarding migration issues. Despite often difficult restrictive contexts, the full recognition of the role of these institutions in international monitoring mechanisms is no longer just an option. National human rights institutions are co building, so to speak, regional responses and they are scaffolding a shared methodological framework to bolster consistency and to ensure that protection actions have the appropriate impact. And the DG of the IOM has been mentioning this today. Today, you, Excellencies, human rights rights are being sorely tested in the context of migration. It needs to be said loud and clear, migrants are not just all about economic issues. Rather they're about people's lives. And often people are taking immense risks. From one continent to another, from one country to another, migrants are writing a deeply human, universal story. Today we are talking about ensuring that we have mobility, governance that fully recognizes this human reality. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen,

Jeremiah pour la presentation and I thank all of our panelists for their insights to help stay stimulate this discussion today in this policy debate. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, followed by Sweden and Mali. The floor is yours.

Thank you very much. Distinguished delegates. The Kingdom of the Netherlands warmly thanks the International Organization for Migration for facilitating this policy debate. A route based approach demands coordinated action across countries of origin, transit and destination. The Netherlands engages along three protection of migrants, preventing of irrelequant migration and sustainable return and reintegration. First, I would like to highlight our work to strengthen migration governance governance systems, for example, through the Compass and Prospects projects. In these projects we work together with partners such as iom, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the ilo, UNICEF and the World bank to strengthen the migration governance system and address drivers for Irlagara migration. By improving the protection of and creating opportunities opportunities for migrants, we reduce the need for onward movement along dangerous routes. Also, the Netherlands works with origin and transit countries to stop smuggling and trafficking with networks and to strengthen return and readmission cooperation. We are exploring new ways of migration management, including return hubs fully in line with international law. We do so in close consultation with UN partners and we call on others to join us in these efforts, including through bilateral agreements. Finally, protecting migrants is a fundamental element in our approach. We commit to safeguarding human rights in our immigration governance. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. And I give the floor to the representative of Sweden, followed by Mali, then Spain.

Now, let's see. Madam Chair, dear me Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Migration does not begin around at one border. It is a connected journey across countries of origin, transit, destination and return. And our responses must therefore be equally connected. Sweden is very firmly committed to a route based approach to migration and to translating this concept into tangible action on the ground. Such approach allow us to take us to look at the full migration cycle and also to design responses that are contextual, coordinated and comprehensive. This means tailoring support to the specific realities along each road. It means recognizing the different risks, needs and opportunities faced by migrants at different points of their journey, including those in vulnerable situations. This is especially important as women and girls are exposed to sexual violence. Sweden takes men's violence against women very seriously. We must jointly take take strong action against this. And it is on this core principle that Sweden wants the UNHCR guidelines on expulsion to be updated. And we encourage a route based approach. It also means strengthening cooperation between countries, international organizations, UN agencies, civil society and local actors, since decisions taken in one place can have consequences elsewhere along the route. For Sweden, this approach is not only conceptual, it is operational. And through targeted financing and close partnerships with international partners, Sweden is helping to support life saving and protection oriented interventions along key migratory routes. The central Mediterranean route deserves particular attention and it requires not only short term responses, but sustained and durable engagement. And through programs to which Sweden contributes, interventions are being made possible in key countries along the route, including Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. Focusing on strengthening asylum systems, identifying migrants in need of international protection, improving access to rights and essential services and enabling resettlement. A road based approach must also address the wider challenges linked to regular migration. This includes countering migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons and addressing the underlying drivers that compel people to undertake dangerous journeys. At the same time, it should support safe and regular pathways as well as sustainable return and reintegration. Sweden believes that this approach can help build more coherent and effective migration governance and we therefore encourage continued cooperation to further operationalize the route based approach, strengthen coordination between borders and ensure that our collective efforts deliver concrete results for migrants, for refugees, host communities and partner countries alike. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Sweden and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali, to be followed by Spain and Gambia.

Madam Director General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to recognize and welcome the remarkable work of the International Organization for Migration regarding migration issues. Mali is a country of origin, transit and destination for migrants and my country has played a constructive role in in the negotiations and adoption of the Marrakesh Compact. In December 2018, we reiterate the firm commitment of the Mali government to fully implement the Global Compact for Safe, orderly and Regular Migration, convinced that well governed migration is a lever for development and stability. Thus, since 2018, Mali has made progress in implementing the Compact, in particular, strengthening data migration regarding migration issues, improving migration provisions, safe return through training programs and support programs for entrepreneurship and income generating activities. Mali is also striving to highlight the skills of the diaspora, in particular through skills transfer policies. Despite all of this progress, there are still challenges. In particular, there's a lack of sustainable financing for migration policies, a poor alignment with national policies and insufficient institutional support in the area of coordination, for example, insufficient responses to the root causes of irregular migration such as combating poverty, discrimination, climate change and disasters. We need to invest further in employment and training, in particular through young people. In conclusion, Mali is intending to build on what it's already done by implementing its national migration policy effectively. We're seeking to strengthen our accountability and monitoring mechanisms and increase links between migration, the environment and the climate. The the Malian government remains available to cooperate with the whole of the stakeholders in order to promote a joint robust governance of migration. Here I would like to underscore the exemplary cooperation with the IOM and I thank you very much. I'd like to thank thank the representative

of Mali or to the distinguished representative of Spain, followed by Gambia and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, igad.

Thank you very much. Minister's Excellencies. Spain values this root based approach. This reflects how we see migration itself. A continuum that connects origin, transit, destination and return. And this requires consistent responses. Across this whole process, we defend a comprehensive human rights based approach that puts people at the center and in a balanced way includes all the dimensions protection, labor mobility and others. We highlight three key priorities. Firstly, acting on the drivers of migration, Spain is in favour of strengthening cooperation with countries of origin, aligning migration and development and supporting regular and orderly pathways. Circular migration also shows that it is possible for all parties to benefit. Secondly, guaranteeing the protection and dignity of individuals throughout their migration route. This means access to rights and services with special attention for the most vulnerable. Spain has resettlement program, a national resettlement program that has a number of places in 2026 and voluntary return programs as well. Cooperation with partners such as the IOM allows us to achieve our full vision from resettlement to inclusion in labour mobility with the people centred approach. Thirdly, shared governance that is results oriented. Migration policy requires real cooperation across countries of origin, transit and destination as well as the involvement of international organizations, local authorities and civil society. This leads to policies that drive orderly migration, a productive approach and other issues that I've mentioned. On the social level, we think it's crucial that we combat hate speech, xenophobia and disinformation. We cannot have effective migration policy without social cohesion. We are strengthening monitoring and responses to these issues with digital platforms and even removing content with active moderation. We support safe, orderly and regular migration. We support comprehensive and cooperative human centered approach because it is only by addressing migration across the whole of the route can we ensure just migration. I think.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Gambia, followed by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the unhcr.

Thank you, Chair Excellencies. The Gambia welcomes this debate and the focus on route based implementation of the Global Compact for Migration as a country of origin, transit and destination. This experience has taught us a simple lesson. Migration cannot be managed in fragments or piecemeal, but one that can require a robust and vital global consultative process. Let me offer three practical considerations. First, cooperation must begin before departure. A young Gambian does not decide to board an irregular boat only because of poverty. The decision is saved by limited opportunities, by aspirations and often by false promises on social media. The Gambia has invested heavily in skill training and youth employment. But these efforts need to be matched by regular pathway real accessible options to move safely. We ask destination countries to expand labour mobility schemes that match our national skills profile. Second, protection must travel with migrants. Too many Gambians have been stranded in transit countries, detained, exploited or simply lost. We have taken steps at the national level, including establishing a coordinating framework on missing migrants and strengthening engagement in regional processes. What we urgently need is practical cross border cooperation, shared protocol for identifications and referral, access to legal identity and farewells between humanitarian aids and immigration enforcement. A person seeking help should not fear being locked up. Third, return must be part of the same continuum and not an afterthought. Return is not a failure. It can be a fresh start, but only if it is safe, dignified and followed by sustained support. The Gambia has welcomed over 15,000 detonees since 2022. Many have received livelihood grants and psychosocial support and care. Yet reintegration takes years, not months. We as destination countries to contribute predictably to reintegration program not as charity but as shared responsibilities. Excellencies, the Gambia, as a champion country, believes in this vision. We stand ready to engage constructively with partners to set concrete actions for a safe route that amplifies the safety, dignity and humanity of migrants, with human rights consideration at the center of decision making. I thank you,

I thank the distinguished representative of Gambia and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of egad, followed by UNHCR and the Migrant Forum Asia.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, IGAD and to present our regional perspective to this forum. The IGAD Member States are countries of origin, transit, destination and return. For us, the Global Compact is not an abstract framework. It's a daily governance reality. Since IMRF 2022 member states have made meaningful progress adapting national migration policy policies, strengthening coordination mechanisms, reviewing and expanding bilateral labor agreements, advancing migration data systems and signing key regional instruments, notably the IGAR Protocol on Free Movement of Persons. Yet policy progress must translate into protection on the ground. The eastern route crisis through the Red Sea towards the Gulf strikingly illustrates this urgency. Just last week, colleagues from IGAD member States and IOM were in obok, which is a cross point between Djibouti and Yemen. We saw hundreds of young women and men, some alone, some in groups waiting under trees surrounded by three deserts and sea for boats that will take them to Yemen and later on to Gulf countries. We also witnessed a mass grave of migrants whose bodies were recovered from the Red Sea on the southern route. Migration towards South Africa is mixed and irregular, exposing migrants, asylum seekers to smuggling, trafficking, violence and exploitation across multiple transit countries. Limited access to regular labor mobility pathways has fueled irregularity, xenophobia, and social tensions. Weak regional coordination, persistent data gaps and under resource protection, return and reintegration systems compound this challenge. Further migration toward Europe reflects similar dynamics. I have personally spoken with doctors working between Ethiopia and Sudan border who described being overwhelmed by the number of dead bodies that they received, some with missing organs. I have also made returnees sent back without reintegration support, many of whom felt they had no option but to migrate again. Excellencies Migration will not stop migration. Most migrants are aware of the risks they face. As long as regular pathways remain out of reach, people will continue to rely on brokers and smugglers. So for us, priority number one is protecting migrants and addressing root causes and apply root based approach and support IGAR members to advance regular pathways and working on with regional partners such as igad.

I thank the distinguished representative of EGAD and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UNHCR followed by Migrant Forum Asia and Paraguay.

Thank you Madam Chair, for the opportunity given to us at the UN refugee agency to intervene in this debate. In 2018 here at the UN in New York, member states endorsed two global compacts, the GCM, which brings us here today, and the Global Compact on Refugees. The GCM and GCR are meant to address migrants and refugees separately. As stressed in paragraph 4 of the GCM, migrants and refugees are distinct groups governed by separate legal frameworks and only refugees are entitled to the specific international protection defined by international refugee law. Yet both compacts are complementary and together offer responses to the contemporary challenges of mixed movements of refugees and migrants traveling along the same dangerous routes. This is why unhcr, together with IOM and other partners has called for root based approaches in mixed movement situations. The route based approach is not business as usual. It calls for three decisive shifts one from fixation on borders to addressing the whole of journey the whole journey of refugees and migrants across countries of origin, asylum, Transit and Destination 2 from the Lure of quick fixes towards comprehensive responses across six mutually reinforcing pillars for urgent actions and three from transactional arrangements to strategic cooperation. Because no state can address these challenges alone, the route based approach aims to save lives, offer alternatives to dangerous journeys and help states develop more effective and protection centered responses. Implementation should be grounded in evidence of what works. In February, UNHCR launched Routes Monitor, a platform synthesizing data on all key mixed movement routes across the world, offering granular understanding of movement trends and dynamics, intentions of those on the move, protection risks and services, as well as opportunities for solutions. We are strengthening data interoperability with IOM and other partners. Implementation of the Routes based approach is ongoing in priority settings with UNHCR focusing on its core mandate of identifying refugees in mixed movements and ensuring their access to protection through multipurpose hubs and strengthening asylum systems and solutions for refugees. The status quo of unmanaged movements, human suffering and political backlash is not an option. The Route based approach is an imperative to achieve safe and regular migration and to maintain confidence in the life saving global asylum regime which marks 75 years.

This.

I thank the distinguished representative of UNHCR and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Migrant Forum USA followed by Paraguay and Uruguay. Migrant Forum Asia Pardon me, I would

have loved to be Migrant Forum usa. First three points for three in three minutes. The first point There are multiple stakeholders along the roots based approach. Many of them are CSOs, trade unions, faith based organizations and others, frontline humanitarian service providers and human and labor rights defenders. But if we are going to make progress, you cannot have the majority of us standing at the back of the room or in overflow rooms with no voice and no possibility of interaction. We could have followed the conversation on UNTV from our bedrooms at home and not wasted resources and burned fuel when it is so expensive now because of an unnecessary war in our region. If we are serious, there are better ways of doing this face to face dialogue and we in civil society have a thousand suggestions of how to get it right. Second Language New Wineskins for new wine those in power are reinforcing a language of regular irregular which is dehumanizing. It robs us of our understanding of our own humanity and it goes against the very founding principle on which this house was built. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every human being is born free and equal in rights and dignity. Third, we fully agree trust is built over time, and that time is now for the few of us who are here are so very aware on a daily basis every minute that we are here. Of the many who could not be here because because of visa bonds, the passports they hold and the color of their skin, whose brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, mothers and daughters, children, we find along those routes movement out of choice or necessity or desperation is taken by human beings. Let us respond as human beings or we diminish in our own humanity. We can learn how to do this from South Asia. If you come to a South Asia wedding despite having distributed invitation cards to the wedding, the whole village turns up, the neighborhood turns up. It's a nightmare for the parents of the bride and the groom. But they dare not send those who have come away without eating, without being part of the celebration, without giving their blessings to the new bride and groom. We must bless this conversation that we are having. And the only way to bless it is by recognizing the dignity of each one of the stakeholders who is here who can contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way. Then we will have transformation from the ground up. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Migrant Forum Asia and give the floor to the distinguished representative of Paraguay on behalf of the Red Ibero Americana de Atorre d' es Migratorias followed by Uruguay and India.

Gracias.

Thank you very much. Madam Chair, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Member States of the Iberia American Network of Migration Authorities have prevented to wish to present the following statement to the Review Forum reaffirming our commitment to the effective implementation of the Global Compact for safe all in regular migration from a regional perspective and a technical and results oriented perspective. Network is a specialized cooperation network for intergovernmental cooperation. It brings together migration authorities of a number of countries in the region with the aim of improving migration management, effective cooperation and technical capacity development across states. We are contributing to translating the commitments in the Global Compact into concrete actions in migration and border control and management. Member States highlight progress and improvement in data exchange systems, developing common standards and early warning mechanisms. These are key tools for evidence based migration governance and comprehensive border governance. Work in the prevention of document fraud and exchange of good practices has contributed to strengthening security and efficiency and regional coordination and we have done so while respecting the full sovereignty of States. These actions are aligned with the objectives of the Global Compact, especially as regards the use of data, provision of timely information and ensuring comprehensive controls. Under the pro temporary Government of Paraguay, the Network is making progress in migration information systems and strategic use of data by identifying gaps, developing common standards between states. Finally, our network highlights the role of regional technical cooperation as a fundamental pillar for implementing the Global Compact. And we affirm our commitment to continue strengthening our joint work. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay. And I turn the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay on behalf of Conferencia Suramericana de Migration, followed by India on behalf of the Colombo Process Group and El Salvador.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, delegates. Ladies and gentlemen. I'm here representing Uruguay, but also the South American Conference on Migration. We are the main regional political forum for dialogue and consultation on migration policy in Latin America. Since our creation in the year 2000, the South American Conference has become a permanent forum for exchange between competent authorities aimed at building regional consensus and strengthening migration governance. Allow me to say that we have a strong link with the Global Compact that was approved in 2018. It's particularly pertinent in some of its aspects. Some of these include the cross cutting human rights approach, the effect effective implementation of migration status of migrants, the human centered approach, the relevance of international cooperation, respect for state Sovereignty, comprehensive border management, including children, and a multidimensional approach to migration governance. But as I was saying, I also speak on behalf of of Uruguay and I'd like to take this opportunity to state Uruguay's complete commitment to the Global Compact as well, based on the long standing efforts that are part of our state policy, which has been recognized internationally. We have a key principle, Law 18, 250, which recognizes the migrants and their families have the right to migrate. They have the right to due process, to family reunification, to access to justice, to work, to health care and education, and also to basic services. And they have access to all of this, regardless of their migration status. Their migration status, even if it may be irregular, will never be a crime in Uruguay. And so people cannot be deprived of their liberty because of migration, not even in the last instance. And I'd like to highlight some of the advances that have been linked to the Global Compact when someone is asking for residency in the country. We in Uruguay also have a policy that deals with nationals who are abroad and also some who come into the country. So we have our National Integration Plan for asylum seekers and for refugees that was passed in 2023, 2024. And in 2024 we passed legislation to allow some thousands of people to to get Uruguayan residency. And we now have mobile units that go into different areas and process their requests for residency. In these applications, the IOM has been a strategic partner and they've been extremely supportive. And we are grateful also to other member States who we have worked with and who have supported us. There are of course, many other players and stakeholders. But I would like to say, and to just conclude my remarks by thinking of a great teacher who said that best communication is about learning from other people's experiences and by sharing your own, you can ensure good practices have a real impact on people's lives. And that really is the goal of our policies. This is also a goal of our policies, even when the person concerned is a migrant. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative on behalf of the South American Conference on Migration. And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of India on behalf of the the Colombo Process to be followed by El Salvador and Ecuador.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. India has the honor to speak as chair of the Colombo Process, a regional platform of labor sending countries across Asia committed to advancing safe, orderly and regular migration through collective action and inter regional dialogue. Colombo Process Member States have taken important steps to strengthen labor migration governance in Asia. Progress has been made in promoting fair and ethical recruitment, improving access to accurate information across the migration cycle, strengthening skills development and recognition and expanding safer, more affordable remittance channels and financial inclusion for migrant workers and their families. At the same time, recent global developments have shown how quickly migration corridors can be disrupted and how quickly this can increase uncertainty and protection risks for migrant workers. These challenges remind us that no country can manage migration alone. Effective responses require partnership partnerships across countries of origin and destination, engagement with the private sector and cooperation with migrants, civil society and international organizations. When effectively governed, migration can deliver significant benefits for all. It can support labor market needs, contribute to sustainable development and help migrants build skills and improve livelihood. The Colombo Process remains committed to practical cooperation, dialogue and partnership with countries of destination, other regional consultative processes and all relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of the Global Compact Migration. By working together, we can ensure that migration remains a driver of resilience, opportunity and shared progress prosperity. Thank you so much.

I thank the distinguished representative of India on behalf of the Colombo Process Group. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of El Salvador, followed by Ecuador and the International center for Migration Policy Development.

Distinguished Director Excellency is Panelist. El Salvador is grateful for this opportunity to intervene on this policy debate. It's a chance to address the strategic issues as part of the Global Compact. Since it was Last reviewed in 2022, El Salvador has experienced a significant transportation in terms of its approach to human mobility. We have moved towards a more comprehensive approach that aligns with the 360 degree vision of the Global Compact. In this context, El Salvador has driven concrete actions in the area of prevention of irregular migration. We have been implementing our national policy. This is aimed at strengthening rootedness, providing opportunities and protection in the education sector. We have an institution, a program called Two Schools per Day. This is the most ambitious education program in the history of the country. Through this program, more than 1,000 schools have been involved. We're also broadening pathways for regular migration through labour mobility programs. These have generated more than 18,000 employees, employment for circular job opportunities to the United States and more than 11,000 opportunities in other countries. The program, called Transforming Lives and another called Seeds, includes seed capital, training and support for entrepreneurs, amongst other things. In terms of the diaspora community, we have 99 diplomatic and consular branches and they provide services and strengthen our relationship with El Salvadorans abroad and ensure their access to rights. We are currently making historic investments in IDs and passport technology in our embassies, bringing services closer to our people. This progress is based on a solid institutional framework as a national coordination mechanism for human mobility. This brings together efforts under A Cross government and trans social approach in 2024, we launched our National Implementation Plan for the Global Compact and this made us the first country in the hemisphere to have this type of instrument. We have also adopted a special law on benefits and protection for the Diaspora and human mobility. And this is why the challenges of migration cannot be addressed in an isolated fashion. Multilateralism and international cooperation, especially through the United Nations Network on Migration and the multi Stakeholder Trust Fund Mechanism, are key in strengthening capacity sharing, good practices and ensuring effective implementation of the Global Compact. By way of conclusion, El Salvador reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting a comprehensive approach that is based on solidarity and human rights to transform commitments into concrete outcomes. I thank you,

I thank the distinguished representative of El Salvador and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ecuador followed by ICMPD and UN Women.

President, Distinguished Chairman, Authorities, colleagues, representatives for Ecuador, sharing this space is especially strategic. We have political leaders here who have been leading in the global governance of human mobility. This is an opportunity to think about progress and challenges in implementation of Global Compact. Our country is facing a complex migration reality as we are simultaneously a country of origin, transit, destination and return. While there has been progress, there are still structural challenges that effective fulfillment of the objectives of the Compact. These include insecurity linked to transnational organized crime, the impact of climate change and economic instability. All of these exert pressure on institutional capacity, especially in the territories. This highlights the need for a joined up response that strengthens the link between migration, development, security and social cohesion. Border management and the protection of migrants are facing increasing challenges, especially in high risk routes where trafficking networks operate. And this requires a coordinated and sustained approach between states and the international international system Ecuador has three priority lines of action. First, strengthening the capacity creation mechanism in the Global Compact as a strategic tool to give countries better capacities in terms of implementing a sustainable and comprehensive global compact. Technical, specialized capacity building and expertise is also needed to support local governments for the management of borders, protection, sustainable return, prevention of risky migration. Secondly, going deeper in inter institutional coordination within the UN system, promoting comprehensive interventions aligned with the national plans, but also respecting their priorities and normative frameworks. Coordinated action is crucial to avoid duplication to maximize the impact of international cooperation. Finally, strengthening international cooperation based on shared responsibility, driving regional and bilateral agreements that broaden pathways for regular migration, strengthen the fight against transnational organized crime and ensure that protection standards match across countries of origin, transit and destination. As a country that is committed to regional migration governance, we are convinced that it is only through effective international cooperation Based on trust, evidence and respect for the sovereignty of States, will it be possible to advance towards implementation of the Global Compact and to fulfill its promise of leaving no one behind? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ecuador. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the International center for Migration Policy Development, to be followed by UN women and Pacific Migration Partners.

Thank you so much. Good afternoon. Dear Chair, Excellencies, dear colleagues, I'm delighted to be here in my capacity as director general of ICMBD, an international organization that operates in 90 countries worldwide, supporting governments in managing migration effectively. So we all know that migration challenges can only be effectively addressed through our international cooperation and particularly through a route based approach bringing together the countries of origin, transit and destination. And I think that's a smart approach because it allows the partners to also pool resources, build on existing partnerships and develop also really context specific solutions. So please allow me to just highlight four aspects which I consider as crucial to make the whole of ROOTS approach work. Firstly, migration diplomacy and regional dialogue through platforms such as, for example, the Prague Process, the Rabat, the Budapest and the Khartoum process, where we are able to translate the operational cooperation into sustained political engagement, and where we are able to ensure that countries along the route are not just partners in implementation, but also in shaping the response. So we as ICMPD are happy to organize and support those dialogues. Secondly, it is about an investment in national migration and protection capacities, supporting the countries along the route to manage migration effectively. Thirdly, it is about operational infrastructure along migration routes to ensure that flexible systems and operational mechanisms are able to respond quickly. Also to changing the migration dynamics and the emerging challenges. This is especially important because we see we have migration movements which often begin as regular labor migration and only later evolve into irregular secondary movements. So it's even harder to tackle. And fourth, it is crucial to have a comprehensive approach to governance. We often focus on capitals, but when implementing the hold of routes, we really have to tackle the route and also include local partners to local ownership. To conclude, ICMPD strongly believes that a route based approach offers a promising and much needed model for addressing migration challenges. I came here to express and reinforce ICYMPD's commitment to a close cooperation with all the organizations in the room and beyond. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the icmpd. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UN Women, followed by Pacific Migration Partners and Guatemala. On behalf of the Regional Conference on Migration

Excellencies. On behalf of the gender subgroup of the UN Migration Network, I'd like to share a reflection on gender equality in the Context of a 360 degree and full migration cycle. Across the evidence reviewed for this forum, including national reports, a consistent pattern emerges. Gender equality is still not yet systematically integrated across migration governance systems. These gaps become evident when viewed through the lens of migration cycle Migration journeys are not gender neutral and at each stage of the migration cycle, gender shapes the reasons for migration, including socioeconomic inequalities. Gender influences access to safe and regular pathways, particularly in labor migration systems and family reunion processes and affects exposure to protection risk including violence, trafficking and exploitation. But at the same time, gender also shapes access to services along routes and destination, participation in labor markets and the availability to exercise rights and to contribute to development or to social or political participation. A root based approach that does not integrate gender analysis risks overlooking these differentiated realities and the analysis of national GCM reviews reflects this challenge. More than half of the member states somehow refer to gender, but its integration remains uneven across key areas of migration governance, particularly pathways, protection systems and data frameworks. This reflects broader structural gaps including limited availability of sex disaggregated data and gender analysis along all the stages of migration, insufficient cross border coordination on gender responsive protection and services and the continued focus on vulnerability rather than empowerment. Agency and participation Participation Excellencies Gender equality should systematically be integrated across all stages of the migration journey and across all areas of cooperation and in this regard, the UN Network on Migration has an important role to play through a whole of society approach that engages stakeholders, including civil society organizations, migrants associations and other partners in supporting Member States through strengthening policy coherence across sectors and along routes supporting the development of gender responsive regular pathways and enhancing capacity building efforts including through data tools and technical guidance. Existing tools, including the Network's gender responsive approach and migration data frameworks provide very practical entry points for this implementation. Looking ahead, three areas are key to strengthen data and evidence across the migration cycle, including sex disaggregated and gender responsive data to inform policy to enhance cross border coordination and to ensure that migration policies give equal priority to protection and to the full integration of gender responsive outcomes including equitable economic participation, access to decent work and contributions to sustainable development.

I thank you,

I thank the distinguished representative of UN Women and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Pacific Pacific Migration Partners to be followed by Guatemala and Peru.

Microphone for the Speaker.

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Thank you very much for giving me the floor, Madam Chair. I bring greetings on behalf of the countries that make up the Regional Conference on Migration. Guatemala is the current chair of the Regional Conference of On Migration. We've been working for more than 30 years to support the exchange of good practices and strengthen state capacity to address migration with a human rights and shared responsibility. Focus the countries that make up the regional conference in order to achieve the Global compact with its 10 principles and 10 objectives. This requires a key part of our efforts to improve cooperation effectively so that we comprehensively address migration and its positive impacts. Thanks to this instrument, we have better parameters for improving migration governance, protecting the rights of individuals in the context of migration and recognizing the contribution of migrants to social development and the understanding the inherent benefits of migration. At this review conference we have been presenting a report, an extraordinary statement that reflects the opportunities and challenges in the region. This was developed with the technical support of the iom. We also submitted three regional documents. The first aimed at ensuring attention for migrants in situational vulnerability. The second address is human mobility linked to climate change. And the third commitment seeks to strengthen regional cooperation through consolidation of this mechanism. Regional mechanisms such as our conference are crucial for achieving commitments to concrete action that promote development migration. Finally, Guatemala wishes to highlight the work of the iom. As the Technical Secretary of the Global Compact, we have to recognize their efforts in contributing and continuing their operations globally. And of course, Madam Amy Pope, General Director, we've also been working with you to ensure this cooperation is sustainable. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Guatemala. And I turn back to the distinguished representative of the Pacific Migration Partners.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, my civil society leads and leaders. We welcome a dialogue about a route supported implementation of and frameworks. However, may we also plead with you to double check the following issues which are still gaps and we're really pleased to hear that you welcome that dialogue. And so, in terms of the wider crises that are shaping our worlds, we do need to recognise that migration is indeed deeply connected to all inequities and inequalities, youth, exclusion, climate impacted mobility, immobility, indigenous rights, loss in damages, and trying to harmonize all of the above policies with the UNFCCC climate policies. Urgent needs for just transition, please could you double check those? And in terms of young people who must be recognized not only as vulnerable populations, but also as tomorrow's leaders and innovators. Youth require access, education, skills, development, digital skill skills and also employment opportunities to have much more sustainable futures. In terms of climate mobility and intermobility, it has been a defining reality for our time and indeed in the Pacific, across many regions, indeed communities are already moving and also our. Sorry, I wrote this, I didn't type it, so I can't read my own writing. I know. And those who remain in situ due to sea level rise, slow onset droughts and rapid responses to disasters and environmental degradation, climate mobility and indeed immobility must be integrated into migration, governance, adaptation planning and international cooperation. We are obliged to ensure that we address loss and damages, including non economic losses. Climate impacts are not only destructing our homes and infrastructures, but but eroding our cultures, our languages, our identity, our ancestral homes and indeed infrastructure, sacred sites and community cohesion. These issues cannot be measured purely in financial terms. They are deeply connected to our dignities, our well being and our human indigenous rights. And for the indigenese, please. Mitigation and relocation or climate Climate movement must uphold the right of the self determination of the collective protection of lands and territories and also fpic. And that is also consistent with the principles of the UN Declaration of the Indigenous People's Rights. I also endorse. And we also endorse sea slavery needs your attention, please. We haven't heard much about that at this particular important meeting. In terms of a just transition, we must remain. It must.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Pacific Migration Partners and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Peru, followed by Kenya and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, Excellencies. Peru hails this debate and reaffirms its commitment to continue implementing the Global Compact. Peru has a diaspora that represents some 10% of our population. We are a host country at the same time and we believe this framework guides effective, balanced, secure and human centered migration policy shared institutions to support inclusive and sustainable development with a 360 degree approach to promote migration as an opportunity for all countries. Coherent with this approach, the State of Peru has a comprehensive approach that is based on evidence and coordination across ministries to ensure that the Pact is translated into our national policies. This has led to strengthening migration information systems and measures aimed at ensuring access to basic services, protection of rights and socioeconomic integration of migrants and at the same time we recognize the need to advance to new schemes for migration governance that address both national realities and at the same time, regional dynamics and global trends. And of course, this comes at a time of an increase of migration policies and mixed migration flows in this context. Next we promote concrete actions and these include strengthening regional cooperation mechanisms in the area of migration, reaffirming the exercise of sovereignty and ensuring respect for human rights in order to ensure coordinated responses to mixed flows, we highlight the creation as part of the South American Conference on Migration of a consular group to coordinate humanitarian assistance and to strengthen protection of our nationals in the Diaspora. We underscore the strategic value of multilateral fora as key platforms for building consensus for exchanging good ideas and developing joint responses to issues in the area of migration. By way of conclusion, Peru reiterates its commitment to continue actively participating in this process and we trust that the present debate will help to consolidate a shared vision with an outlook aimed at development, aimed at results and ensuring a more effective human, secure and sustainable migration. I thank you

I thank the distinguished representative of Peru and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya to be followed by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Fiji.

Thank you excellentis for this opportunity from the Republic of Kenya we similarly faced several challenges in the implementation of the gcm. However, this presented an opportunity to reflect on the value that migration has added to our country as a strategic asset and foundation for evidence and cooperation with like minded stakeholders. GCM provides a strategic shift from crisis response to prevention and pathways, expanding legal channels and reinforcing protection systems that curb irregular migration, reduce smuggling networks and protect vulnerable populations. As we advance post this forum you excellent this Kenya will focus around the following priorities. One is universal access to legal identity with increase to access to secure legal identity for all Kenyans, especially those in hard to reach areas overseas and in transit with digital identity services, condula assistant and renewal in countries not covered by Kondula services. Secondly, one Stop Migration Information Platform we seek to establish and scale nationwide integrated one Stop Information platform for the coordination of access to regular pathways, condolence services, labor migration and job matching remittances, migration health grievance retrace mechanism, return and reintegration, case management and diaspora engagement. 3. We seek to realize harmonized disaggregated migration data ecosystem through strengthening the Technical Working Committee on Migration and displacement data and statistics. 4. Ethical recruitment and Safe Labor Pathways we will strengthen labor recruitment system by continuously implementing ethical recruitment standards, institutionalizing mandatory and accredited pre departure orientation to all destinations implement skills recognition frameworks. 5. We will strengthen employer compliance monitoring and improving work permit issuance processes to safeguard migrant workers, prevent trafficking and align labor mobility with priority value chains under the medium term economic framework. 6. We also will seek to localize migration to where it takes and it originates through the county outreach program into other existing and upcoming localization programs and create migration awareness through community information and awareness programs. Diaspora engagement and social possibility is also a priority for Kenya. We'll seek to develop voluntary and secure mechanisms for diaspora.

I thank the distinguished representative of Kenya and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bolivian Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to be followed by Fiji and Cuba.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Territorial approach is interesting, but ultimately this is a political issue. We think it's important that we value the necessary identification of the causes underpinning the fracturing of our societies and migration. We value the capture and use of data and statistics on migration to ensure that these tools serve to guarantee effective human rights for individuals rather than deviating attention to utilitarian interest. Data should be linked to the objective reality for planning policies that mitigate the causes of migration and address the needs of migrants, rather than to justify decisions of donors to finance programs based on manipulated data. When ethics are no longer important for political reasons or even for geopolitical reasons, these statistics, this data can be used for destabilizing aims such as the fabrication of a humanitarian crisis. The imposition of unilateral coercive measures are a clear cause of migration. For several decades in our country, these have generated conditions that make existence itself impossible and that are breaking down our societies and our families. These are extremely grave facts. But more grave still is that the United nations system is adopting such practices. We've seen how the discretional handling of data or statistics or a misunderstanding of the real causes of migration that have been used to unethical ends to address a problem that requires objectivity to draw attention to a human issue caused by the unilateral coercive measures. I'm talking about the UN agencies themselves who have distorted realities and this has affected asylum and even refugee status. Being a migrant is not the same as being a refugee or as an asylum seeker. And trying to dilute these distinctions into a single concept is to break down international law and something fundamentally damaging transform migrants. The status of a migrant to such a state of vulnerability is also so unacceptable we cannot formulate or plan or decide on migration when we exclude the countries concerned. We must go back to ethics in international social protections. Migration is not a crime, it is a consequence of inequality. It is not a business. Migrants are not merchandise and they deserve the international community to address the causes that drove these individuals to leave our countries. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Venezuela and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Fiji, followed by Cuba and the United Nations Office on Drugs and crime.

Madam Moderator DG, Ms. Pope, distinguished panelists, allow me at the outset to convey Fiji's acknowledgement and appreciation to you, Madam Director General, distinguished high level panelists, and of course to your Excellencies for your various technical briefings and updates this afternoon. With a population of over 900,000, Fiji views migration as a critical and of strategic importance to us. Our migration patterns are shaped by geography, development needs, labor mobility and the growing impacts of climate change. These trends reflect both our vulnerabilities and the exploration of families seeking to improve their socio economic opportunities at their own discretion. Madam Moderator Fiji reaffirms its strong commitment to the GCM as a central framework for strengthening international cooperation on migration governance. In this period, the Hon. Williamena Oporto, Fiji's Minister for Immigration, chaired the Asia Pacific Regional Review of the GCM held in Bangkok in February last year. Additionally, on the 23rd of March this year, the Government of Fiji hosted Fiji Preparatory Meeting on GCM Champion Countries for Asia and the Pacific and also chaired by the Honorable Minister, Madam Moderator. Against this background, Fiji recognizes key areas that require strengthening as follows. First, we need strong support in expanding ethical labour mobility pathways, fair recruitment practices and structured skills partnerships. These areas will help reduce irregular migration while ensuring mutual benefits for countries of origin, transit and destination. Second, for Pacific small island developing states like Fiji, climate change is a growing driver of mobility. We therefore call for strengthened language and action on climate resilience, adaptation and sustainable development within migration policies and governance framework. Third, we underscore the urgency of a coordinated protection system to address risks such as trafficking in persons, exploitation, unsafe working conditions and irregular movement. Rights based, gender responsive and child sensitive protection along with access to services, legal identity and cross border referral mechanisms remain essential. Madam Roarita we further emphasize emphasize the need to strengthen migration data systems and evidence based policy making, enabling developing countries to produce timely and disaggregated data. We must also counter misinformation and negative narratives that undermine social cohesion and informed decision making. Finally, as I conclude, effective implementation of the GCM requires predictable financing, enhanced capacity building and strengthen international cooperation, particularly for small island developing States. As we progress towards the implementation of Draft Declaration before us, thank You.

I thank the distinguished representative of Fiji. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba to be followed by UNODC and the International Detention Coalition.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Dear Amy Pope Chair Excellencies. We're grateful to the IOM for their presence here during the Compact review process. We recognize the significance of the Global Compact being the first global agreement on international migration based on guaranteeing safe, orderly and regular migration based on international cooperation and the protection of the rights of migrants. We have repeatedly reaffirmed our political commitment to the objectives of the Compact. In Cuba, migration has become a factor of our shrinking population and acceleration of aging. All of this is occurring in an increasing economic, commercial, financial blockade of the United States to extreme levels, reinforced by the energy stranglehold. This same country is using migration as a source of aggression and subversion against the revolution, offering privileged and unique treatment for Cubans that leave the US to go to the United States even through irregular pathways. At the same time, irregular migration flows are being increased, encouraged and this endangers the lives of our fellow nationals and benefits the syndicates dedicated to trafficking of persons. Despite these challenges, Cuba is working towards safe, orderly and regular migration. We have a policy aimed at reducing of flows and supporting the population and to ensure and support Cubans in the country to support the socio economic development of the country. In 2024, our National assembly approved new laws on migration and citizenship. This represents a significant leap in our migration policy because it allows nationals to live overseas without affecting their rights while allowing investment of Cuban Cubans residing abroad and ensuring family reunification, return and circular migration. Our authorities have announced the official publication of these norms together with their respective regulations. We're also addressing irregular migration on the border, driving awareness raising campaigns and we have international agreements and bilateral agreements in the region, including with the United States. We continue to defend the understanding between states at a bilateral and multilateral level to ensure stable migratory flows that respect the legislation and sovereignty of each country and guarantee the security and human rights of migrants at all times. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the unodc followed by the International Detention Coalition and then the Holy See.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to say something from on behalf of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. There's really growing momentum and consensus that whole of the root approaches, root based approaches should really be at the forefront of responsibility responses to migration related challenges including trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. So for example, the upcoming UN Working groups on smuggling of migrants have one of their main themes as route based approaches, really showing how pertinent this issue and this way of thinking is becoming. And I think we all have just an understanding of the concept as a way of ensuring that protection solutions are there at key points along migration routes. And we also just have a shared understanding that it's a joint effort. For it to work, we need government authority, civil society, UN international organizations, all working together to achieve it. From the criminal justice perspective though, our particular interest is in addressing some of the protection risks that that occur along migration routes. And the route based approach could really facilitate access to justice. I'm going to talk a little bit just about migrants and transits, especially those whose journeys are facilitated by smugglers, whose journeys are characterized sometimes by physical violence. We've all heard of torture for purposes of extortion, sexual violence that they go through. That has been discussed here. Trafficking in persons as well, which happens in the context of these journeys. And because these abuses are rarely reported where they occur and surface, maybe later in the journey or right at the end, to have an effective response, there really has to be good international cooperation across the entire route. In the criminal justice context as well, the route based approach is also about following the chain of evidence required to prove the offence, whether of trafficking in persons or smuggling of migrants along the route, with the ultimate goal of addressing the transnational organized crime. And there are many factors that influence the chain of evidence, like the modus operandi of the organized criminal groups, like financial flows, corruption, cyber fraud, money laundering. And sometimes even the concept of what the route is is something that we really need to conceptualize because you have third countries that are away from the route involved. For example, in migrant smuggling, you could have payments and proceeds of crime being handled in a third country, which has nothing to do with the actual route that is followed by the migrant. Which makes the concept something we really need to think about in a wider sort of frame.

I thank the distinguished representative of the unodc. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the International Detention Coalition, followed by the Holy See and Ethiopia.

Good afternoon. Migration today is a complex multi stage process where migrants and refugees move along routes facing extreme risk vulnerabilities and where their rights are breached at different stages. That is why migration cannot be addressed in fragmented responses and cooperation to ensure rights and protection for people on the move is needed because risks such as violence, including sexual and gender based violence, exploitation, detention and trafficking are continuous along the route and response needs to be coordinated. The needs of people on the move have to be addressed through protection systems across jurisdictions that are adaptable given the dynamic nature of migration. This is why the route based approach, if used in the right way and considering the entirety of the migration route and not only part of it, could lead to enhanced coordination, increased protection and upholding migrant rights regardless of status throughout the whole journey. This approach can have many positive aspects in relation to for instance, enhanced coordination, expansion of regular pathways, casework, screening and referral mechanisms, access to asylum systems and mapping of services. However, it is important that the concept of the rules based approach is not co opted or is not only used to justify externalization measures, third country agreements or a system that mainly prioritize return and surveillance approaches. The roots based approach also needs to consider intersectional and gender responsive approaches, particularly looking at the situation of women, girls and gender diverse people across the route. Moreover, the root based approach needs to become a helpful tool to advocate for increased regular pathways for access to rights, services and protection and for the promotion of alternatives to detention. The implementation of alternatives to detention is a cross cutting topic related with the root based approach and it affects both migrants and refugees. This is why idc, as the global coalition advocating to end immigration detention, is exploring how the roots based approach could become a helpful tool in advocating for rights based alternatives to attention in the community. A concrete example of a positive framing of the roots based approach in practice is the Pathways to Protection Consortium, a collaborative effort led by the Danish Refugee Council, the Danish Red Cross and the International Detention Coalition which is designed to deliver rights based people, centre and evidence informed interventions throughout the three Mediterranean routes to foster sustainable, effective and localized protection system. To finish, it is imperative that any efforts to implement the roles based approach have human rights, gender equality, child protection at the center, focusing on expanding regular pathways and that the concept is not used mainly to foster surveillance and control. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the International Detention Coalition and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Holy See, followed by Ethiopia and China.

Thank you, Madam Director General. The Holy See's approach to migration is rooted in the Gospel and developed in Catholic social teaching with the God given dignity of every human person at its core. With this in mind, the Holy See delegation wishes to offer some reflections in the following areas. First, Saving Lives There are serious concerns about the vulnerability of migrants along dangerous routes. Protecting migrants lives is an obligation under international law based on the fundamental right to life. Strengthening cooperation on search and rescue operations is of utmost importance, as is ensuring that respect for the right to life is never subordinated to any other interests. Second, family unity Regular pathways for family reunification remain limited. More efforts should be made to support family unity, including incorporating family accompaniment into labour mobility schemes and ensuring access to education and health care. Particular care and attention must be given to minors. Third, Innovation and Technology Digital tools and innovation have the potential to make migration systems more predictable, accessible and efficient. However, the use of surveillance technology in border management has raised concerns about potential human rights violations. Another particularly disturbing phenomenon is the rise of so called cyber slavery. In such cases, the victim is coerced into assuming the role of perpetrator, exacerbating their spiritual wounds. These forms of violence are not isolated incidents but in the words of Pope Leo, symptoms of a culture that has forgotten how to love as Christ loves. Madam Director General Pope Leo XIV is very clear. Every migrant is a person and as such has inalienable rights and must be respected in every situation. Not all migrants move by choice, but many are forced to flee because of violence, persecution, conflict and even the effects of climate change. Behind every objective of the GCM and policy effort stands the God given dignity of migrants, demanding not only better governance but also solidarity, collective responsibility and sustained efforts to ensure their protection and inclusion. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Holy See and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia, followed by China.

Thank you Madam Moderator. My submission is going to focus on the fight against trafficking in person and smuggling of migrants with an emphasis on route based approach, implementation challenges and emerging issues as well as leveraging partnerships. Ethiopia's comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking and smuggling of migrants fundamentally rooted in addressing the root causes that drive vulnerable population to seek opportunities abroad. By focusing on socioeconomic development, poverty elevation, environmental resilience and job creation, Ethiopia aims to reduce push factors that fuel migration. Our national policies emphasize prevention through socio economic reforms and community engagement, recognizing that sustainable development is a key to long term solutions. Emerging issues such as new air based and digitally dimensioned trafficking routes toward Southeast Asia highlight the need for adaptive strategies. Criminal syndicates are increasingly exploiting online and ethical recruitment and digital platforms requiring us to strengthen cyber capabilities, digital evidence and financial investigations. Additionally, diversification of trafficking routes necessitates deeper regional and international partnerships to ensure early detection, victim protection, observing non criminalization and effective enforcement, we face significant implementation challenges. Limited bilateral labor agreements, institutional capacity, slow treaty enforcement, loose international cooperations and resource constraints hinder the full operationalization of cooperation mechanisms. Despite strong policies, intelligence led investigations and cross border cooperation remain reactive rather than proactive, risking gaps in our response to involving criminal networks. Ethiopia recognizes the importance of leveraging partnerships. For example, our MOUs with transit and destination countries to establish a comprehensive cooperation exemplifies cross border cooperation. We are also engaging with UN agencies and other international organizations to enhance digital evidence handling and intelligence sharing. Ethiopia also emphasizes the importance of engaging civil society, private sector actors and border communities to strengthen the entire response as we advance. Ethiopia is committed to operationalizing existing agreements, expanding group specific cooperation and fostering innovative solutions. We aim to reinforce our legal and institutional capacity, ensuring a resilient and coordinated effort to dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable migrants. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China who will be the last speaker in our policy discussion.

Thank you, Madam Chair. China attaches great importance to migration issues and actively implements the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the recommendations of the GCEM. Not long ago, National People's Congress of China approved the outline of the 15th Five Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. This is the grand blueprint for China's economic and social development over the next five years. China stands ready to promote deeper alignment between the 15th Five Year Plan and the Global Migration Governance and contribute China's efforts. First, the Five Year Plan clearly states that China will steadily expand, opening up at the institutional level and share opportunities and development with all countries, an objective that aligns closely with the Compact's goal of strengthening international cooperation and global partnerships. China has established consular consultation mechanisms with dozens of countries, implemented unilateral or mutual visa free arrangements with 79 countries, expanded transit visa free access to 55 countries, increased entry ports to 65 across 24 provinces, expanded state durations to 240 hours and expanded fast track port visa services to 100 open ports in 74 cities. China believes that all countries should, based on their national conditions, adopt more open and convenient migration policies so that migrants can contribute to economic and social development as well as global sustainable development. Second, accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and empowering smart migration through technological innovation. During the 15th Five Year Plan period, China will accelerate the application of innovative technologies in migration management and services, pilot document free and smart clearance, fast track border inspection channels and facilitate visits to China by foreign nationals. China believes that governments, international organizations and technology companies should deepen cooperation in digital skills training, bridging technological divide and preventing misuse in technology so that dividends of technological progress will truly benefit migrants. The root causes of migration lie in inadequate and unbalanced development and in recurring armed conflict around the world. China actively engages in mediation on international and regional hazmat issues and continues to carry out humanitarian assistance projects in developing countries. China believes that the international community should focus on migrants themselves, place human development at the core of migration governance, adhere to political settlement work to restore peace and order in the national landscape. Efforts should be made to promote legitimate rise in interests of migrants, oppose discrimination, violence and promote safe and dignified return. China will create broad opportunities for common development of countries and demonstrate greater commitment to the progress of humanity. We stand ready to work with all parties to deepen our exchanges and corporation and inject more positive energy into the global migration governance.

Thank you representative of China and I want to apologize to the 22 representatives of countries who are unable to speak this afternoon due to timing. For those who are unable to speak the you may submit your statements to E. Statements that's the letter E followed by the word statement@un.org so that it may be posted in the Journal of the United Nations. But it's so clear from our discussion that route based cooperation is an area that requires so much more attention, more resources and more action. The challenge for all of us will be implementation at scale. As Coordinator of the UN Migration Network and the Director General of iom, I can promise that we'll share with you you a roadmap to take forward today's discussions and respond to the directions on this matter in the Draft Progress Declaration. I now have the privilege of giving the floor to Ms. Katherine Russell, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund.

Excellencies, Colleagues, I'd like to thank Amy Pope for bringing us together under the UN Network on Migration and for the spirit of collaboration that has shaped today's discussion. We've heard throughout this debate about the importance of systems of policies, coordination and governance for a root based approach to be effective. In closing, I want to reiterate what all of this means for a child. For millions of children on the move, migration is a lived experience, often marked by fear, loss and risk. Earlier today I listened to a young woman describe her journey as As a teenager, she left her home in search of an education. What began as hope quickly became something much darker. Along the way. She was exploited, she was trafficked. She was alone. She told us that the turning point came only when she finally reached safety, when a child protection worker listened to her, reassured her and helped her begin again. And she said something that should stay with all of us. She emphasized that she if she could have accessed such protection and assistance earlier in her journey, when she first realized she was in Danger, she might have changed her plans. Her story also reflects a pattern we see again and again. Children do not experience migration in neat stages. Origin, transit, destination. They experience it as a continuous journey. And too often, protection for children is fragmented, starting and stopping at borders, disappearing exactly when those borders are needed the most. We know why children move. Some are driven by violence, poverty or climate shocks. Others move because they cannot access something as fundamental as education. And they see no viable alternatives for their future. This is where the Global Compact for migration and the 2030 agenda meet. As long as children cannot learn, cannot be saved, cannot see a future at home, they will continue risking dangerous journeys in search of a brighter future. This is why a critical element of the route based approach involves increasing international cooperation to address the drivers that compel people to leave their countries. Irregular migration routes are where risks multiply. They expose children to violence, exploitation, trafficking and detention. And they often result in exclusion from health care, education and illegal identity. The very foundation of protection for children. For children traveling alone, of course, these risks are even greater. And when children are returned to their communities and countries of origin, often without adequate support, the cycle begins again. Interrupted education, broken social ties, renewed vulnerability. Too often, often return is not a resolution. It's the start of another risky journey. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Global Compact, States have committed to uphold the best interests of all children everywhere and to address the risks migrant children face. At unicef, this is our focus. We support governments to strengthen national systems, child protection, education and health, so that every child, regardless of status, can seek access to critical services. But we also know that national systems are not enough. Children cross borders and their protection must cross too. That's why the root based approach is so critical. It means countries working together to ensure that children are identified, supported and protected wherever they are. It means building connections between systems so that care does does not stop at a border crossing. We are seeing encouraging momentum. Regional frameworks are taking shape. Governments are exploring how to cooperate, to strengthen referral systems and to ensure that children are not lost between jurisdictions. These are important steps, but for children, progress must move faster than risk and cooperation must go further. It must include safe and responsible data sharing, sharing so that children can be referred and supported across borders. We must collectively invest in community and family based care and we must work to end child immigration detention, which we know harms children in lasting ways. Safe, regular, family centered pathways must be expanded across the globe so that children are not forced into dangerous journeys in the first place. It's with this ambition that UNICEF IOM and Save the Children have launched a new global program for the protection of migrant children. Together with government partners and other stakeholders, we are working to strengthen protection and services along entire migration routes, combining our expertise to deliver practical, scalable solutions. Because we already know what works, the challenge now is to bring those solutions to scale and to sustain them. Excellencies, looking ahead to 2030, to the next review of the Global Compact, the question is not whether we understand the challenges. The question is whether we will have built systems that reflect the reality of children's lives. Systems that recognize that a child on the move is first and foremost a child entitled to protection, to care, and to a future. Because ultimately, migration can, can and must be managed in a way that protects children and keeps families together. What's needed now is the political will and the collective determination to make protection continuous, connected and real for every child on the move. Thank you very much.

I thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund. Thank you, Kathy. And I'd like to express my appreciation again to each and every one of you for your active participation in this policy debate. I'd like to note especially the interpreters and thank them for their extra 10 minutes of time for this important conversation. The policy debate of the International Migration Review Forum is now concluded and this meeting is adjourned.