The next steps following the adoption of two compacts for a better management of migration and refugee flows at global level will be the focus of a parliamentary debate today.
MEPs of the Civil Liberties and Development Committees and the Subcommittee on Human Rights will exchange views, also with representatives of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on the best way to continue the process initiated back in 2016.
The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2016, marked the beginning of multilateral negotiations for the adoption of two non-binding global compacts on refugees -with the objective of a fairer sharing of the burden and responsibility for hosting and supporting refugees worldwide- and migration, aimed at ensuring adequate treatment of migrants in vulnerable situations.
The Global Compact on refugees was affirmed by the member states of the UN General Assembly on 17 December 2018 in the annual resolution on the work of UNHCR. The Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration was endorsed by the General Assembly on 19 December, with 152 votes in favour, 5 against (Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, United States) and 12 abstentions (including Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia and Romania). Among EU Member States, Slovakia did not register its vote.
The MEPs who, as part of an EP delegation, attended the UN intergovernmental conference in Marrakech to adopt the Global compact last December, will also present their mission report.
