December 15, 2018
STATEMENT BY MR. NEBIL SAID
STATEMENT BY MR. NEBIL SAID, COUNSELLOR PERMANENT MISSION OF ERITREA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE TO ADOPT THE GLOBAL COMPACT FOR SAFE, ORDERLY AND REGULAR MIGRATION MARRAKECH, MOROCCO ON 11 DECEMBER 2018
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Let me start by co
nveying the
gratitude of my delegation to the people and government of the Kingdom of Morocco for the excellent organisation and their warm hospitality.
Eritrea welcomes the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.
The Compact provides us witha historic opportunity toaddress migration comprehensively. To make human mobility safe, reduce its negative impacts for migrants and countries as well as maximise its benefits for all.
A framwork for global governance of human mobility is crucial and long overdue.
Mr. President,
Migration creates and reproduces our common human heritage.
Despite much talk about its negative impacts,much of the economic, technological and cultural progress and dynamism of our world would have not been possible without centuries long human mobility.
Migration is here to stay with us due to demographic transformation, growing global inequalities, improved international communications; and,more importantly,the mere human desire to move.
It is unfortunate in an era when the international community has made advances in facilitating cross-border movements of commodities, services and finance, a non-binding agreement on migration is still firmly resisted by some.
We cannot continue to turn our eyes away from an issue of immense consequence for humanity and hope for it to go away.
Every state has a right to legislate and implement national immigration policy.Nevertheless, no country on its own can address the complexity of migration without an international cooperation.
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migrationis not an advocacy for more migration, as some are portraying it. In fact,every government desires to create conditions that allow its people to live and thrive in their respective countries.
Nothing in this Global Compact infringes on sovereignty nor authority of the state over its immigration policy.
It only aims to safe lives andmaximisethe benefits of migration for all—to migrants as well as countries of origin, transit and destinations through international partnership.
The success of the Compact is in its implementation. Indeed, how far we implement the objectives of the Global Compact will determine success of our future efforts onglobal migration governance.
If we fail to deliver, it will be a setback to our future efforts and would reinforce and entrench the position of doubters of the Global Compact.
Given the fate of previous regional and international initiatives, there is a need to develop a more systematic ways to implement the objectives of the Global Compact comprehensive and review its progress.
Let us make the most of this historic opportunity.
Mr. President,
Excellencies;
Eritrea, as a country with a proportionally large, well-connected and active diaspora community, recognisesthe significant role and contribution of aconscious and organised migrant community both for destination and origin countries.
Migrants are not objects, but as agents human progress.
We should harness the capacities of migrant and diaspora communities towards the implementation of the objectives of the Global Compact and other internationally agreed development goals. For that, we need remove the administrative and legal bottlenecks that impedes migrants and diaspora communities from becoming part of the solution to global challenges.
Let me conclude by reaffirming Eritrea’s readiness to further expand regional and international partnerships. It will work with all nations bilaterally and within the framework of the Global Compact to make migration a choice, safe and beneficial for all peoples and nations.
I thank you Mr. President.
