Global awareness of the tragedies of irregular migrants in the Mediterranean basin with specific emphasis on Syrian asylum seekers

BOUEDRAO — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 21:23:00 +0000

Friday, 20 November 2015 - 8:30am to Monday, 23 November 2015 - 6:00pm

Overview

The situation of refugees and irregular migrants crossing from the Middle East and Africa to Europe is of major concern to the international community. As the winter approaches, the conditions facing these vulnerable people will only worsen. Regrettably, the tragic situation in the Mediterranean is pall of a larger global humanitarian and refugee crisis. This global crisis is of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War, as 60 million people, half of them children, have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict and violence. It is clear that no country or region can address the current global crisis on its own. At the same time, the humanitarian system is under strain and cannot keep pace with growing needs and challenges. There is an urgent need to comprehensively address the global humanitarian and refugee crisis. In this regard, this plenary meeting provides a unique opportunity to address not only the plight of the vulnerable people in the Mediterranean basin, but also to reflect on our collective response to the global crisis.

Announcement

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2015

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Migrants

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General Assembly

Migration

General Assembly high-level meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants

BOUEDRAO — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 21:37:00 +0000

Monday, 19 September 2016 - 9:00am

Overview

The past several years have witnessed an array of crises causing mass movements of refugees and migrants in different parts of the world. While humanitarian assistance has provided immediate relief to millions of people, long-term responses to the various crises have typically been ad hoc, incomplete and uncoordinated. Countries hosting large refugee populations have shouldered a disproportionate burden. Thousands of vulnerable migrants, especially women and children, suffer exploitation and abuse at the hands of human traffickers. By circumventing existing border controls, migrant smugglers contribute to irregular migration. Third-country responses to large movements of refugees and migrants have ranged from generously welcoming newcomers to closing borders. Thousands of migrants and refugees have lost their lives in search for safety and a better life. The absence of systematic approaches to the arrival and stay of large-scale population movements has undermined the public trust in many countries.

Today, large-scale movements of refugees and migrants are a reality, with countries playing various roles as places of origin, transit or destination depending on the circumstances. These growing movements are taking place against the backdrop of increased human mobility and interconnectedness as a result of globalization.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda offer concrete commitments to leverage the benefits of international migration for development, to mitigate the root causes of displacement, to facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migration, and to address the various challenges posed by migration. Greater international cooperation and a strengthened commitment to responsibility-sharing are key elements in responding to large movements of refugees and migrants and in designing well-managed migration policies.

On 19 September 2016, the General Assembly will hold a high-level plenary meeting in order to respond to large movements of refugees and migrants. The aim of the Summit is to develop a global approach to situations of mass population flows that is more comprehensive, predictable, systematic, and equitable.

The meeting is expected to secure firm, action-oriented commitments to enhance responsibility-sharing and to strengthen international cooperation. The Secretary-General has recommended that Member States adopt a global compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees and agree on a roadmap to guide the development of a global compact for safe, regular and orderly migration.

Organization of work

19 September 2016
8:30 - 9:30 am	Opening H. E. Peter Thomson, President of the 71 st session of the General Assembly H. E. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the General Assembly H.E. Ban-Ki-Moon, Secretary-General H.E. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group H. E. Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner for Refugees Signing Ceremony of UN-IOM Agreement H.E. William Lacy Swing, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration H.E. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, High Commissioner for Human Rights H.E. Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for International Migration H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN-Women on behalf of the Global Migration Group H. E. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Ms. Eni Lestari Andayani Adi, International Migrants Alliance (IMA) - (Indonesia) Mr. Mohammed Badran, Syrian Volunteers in the Netherlands (SYVNL) - (Syrian Arab Republic) Ms. Nadia Murad Basee Taha, Yazda and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking
9:30 - 7:30 pm	Plenary Session Trusteeship Council Chamber Provisional list of speakers for the plenary meeting Statements Plenary Session ECOSOC Chamber Provisional list of speakers for the plenary meeting Statements Round Table 1 CR2 "Addressing the root causes of large movements of refugees" Round Table 2 CR3 "Addressing drivers of migration, particularly large movements, and highlighting the positive contributions of migrants" Round Table 3 CR4 "International action and cooperation on refugees and migrants and issues related to displacement: the way ahead" Round Table 4 CR2 "Global compact for responsibility sharing for refugees; respect for international law" Round Table 5 CR3 "Global compact for safe, regular and orderly migration: towards realizing the 2030Agenda for sustainable development and achieving full respect for the human rights of migrants" Round Table 6 CR4 "Addressing vulnerabilities of refugees and migrants on their journeys from their countries of origin to their countries of arrival"
7:30 - 8:00 pm	Closing statements H.E. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General H. E. Peter Thomson, President of the 71 st session of the General Assembly

Background materials

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 September 2016: New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (A/RES/71/1)
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 30 June 2016: High-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants (A/RES/70/290)

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