Review: Need for regional partnership
The first Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Asia and the Pacific ended on March 12 with a need for greater collaboration among countries in the region to implement a global framework for action to reap the benefits of migration for all.
United Nations UnderSecretary-General and executive secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said considering that migration was regional in nature, there was a need to advance regional cooperation and partnerships at the regional, subregional and bilateral levels.
“Let us work together, countries, intergovernmental organisations, stakeholders and UN entities,” she said.
“No country can address the challenges and opportunities of migration alone.
“We must be ambitious and advance practical implementation of the global compact.”
Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai said a migrant-inclusive approach was critical to finding a sustainable solution.
“As we learned from the pandemic, no one is safe until everyone is safe, therefore, a migrantinclusive approach is key to finding a sustainable solution and no matter how overwhelmed we are by the impacts of COVID-19, we can and must continue to advance. We must use the global compact to its full potential in overcoming these challenges,” he said.
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) director-general António Vitorino said the regional review offered the participants an opportunity to compare experiences among countries, share good practices and enhance collective actions in the Asia-Pacific region.
International Labour Organization assistant director-general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa said policies and approaches needed to be just and inclusive if the aim was to protect and provide migrants access to decent work.
“COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on migrant workers and they should be integral to our plans as we seek to build back better after the pandemic,” she said.
Before the review, five consultations were held with diverse stakeholders to ensure their participation in the review process and provide them with opportunities to put forward recommendations. The review was organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Regional UN Network on Migration for Asia and the Pacific.