UNIS/SGSM/1374
15 December 2023
Migration is a fact of life and a force for good. It promotes the exchange of knowledge and ideas and contributes to economic growth. It enables millions of people to pursue opportunities and improve their lives.
At the same time, poorly governed migration is a cause of great suffering. It forces people into the cruel realm of traffickers, where they face exploitation, abuse, and even death. It undermines trust in governance and institutions, inflames social tensions, and corrodes our common humanity.
On International Migrants Day, we highlight the urgent need for safe migration governance rooted in solidarity, partnership, and respect for human rights.
Five years ago, the international community adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. This has become an important reference point and resource for Member States to assess actions, enhance cooperation, and expand rights-based pathways for migration.
Yet such measures remain the exception, not the norm. Today and every day, we must work towards a more humane and orderly management of migration for the benefit of all, including communities of origin, transit, and destination.
Together, let us secure a safer and more prosperous future for all.
* *** *
"The world is going through an unprecedented environmental emergency which poses an existential threat to this and future generations." — António Guterres
The new Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations (Vienna), Shambhu S. Kumaran, presented his credentials today to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), Ghada Waly.
"Dialogue, diplomacy and multilateral solutions provide the surest path to a peaceful and just world." — António Guterres
Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are multi-billion-dollar businesses that have changed dramatically in recent years, driven by global challenges such as war, large migration and refugee flows, cybercrime, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.