Cairo-Beirut, 4 July--The second Regional Review conference of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in the Arab region kicked off yesterday at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, with governments and stakeholders taking stock of progress made in implementing the Compact since its adoption in 2018.
The two-day event is co-organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the League of Arab States (LAS), in collaboration with the Regional United Nations Network on Migration in the Arab Region.
"The discussions over these two days will help us chart the way forward to a better future for this region, one in which migrants are acknowledged as agents of positive change and migration as an opportunity to boost economic growth and development," said IOM Director General Amy Pope. "It is our shared responsibility to do more - and do it better - to harness the vast potential of safe, orderly and humane migration," she added.
Participating governments from the region will share their best practices, challenges and lessons learned in implementing the Global Compact and their next steps at the country level. Critical findings and recommendations will inform the 2026 International Migration Review Forum.
"Migrants played an essential role in development, as they contributed to their home country's economies through remittances, a major source of income for numerous families," said ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti. "Migration is not only a development issue but chiefly a humanitarian one. Due to political and economic crises, wars and occupation, many of the region's residents were forced to flee and seek refuge, risking their lives through irregular migration. Thousands have lost their lives," she stated.
Discussions will focus on the six priority areas identified by member States in the first Regional Review in 2021. These priorities include expanding regular migration pathways and reducing irregular migration, ensuring that migrants have the right to access basic services, and protecting and empowering migrant workers and operationalizing their role in the sustainable development process in countries of origin and destination.
"Addressing the root causes driving migration and refugee outflows is crucial, as is linking migration and development through approaches that enhance cooperation between humanitarian and development actors," said LAS Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
A multi-stakeholder consultation was hosted by IOM and ESCWA in collaboration with the Regional United Nations Network on Migration (UNNM) in the Arab Region the day prior to the Regional Review. The Regional UNNMs also conducted a series of online thematic consultations in May covering all six key priorities to collect input from diverse stakeholders.
Five Regional Reviews are held every four years. As part of the 2024 series, a Regional Review was carried out in the UN Economic Commission for Europe in March 2024, and another is scheduled in Africa in October. Asia and the Pacific and Latin and Central America Regions will hold their reviews in February and March 2025 respectively.
The Regional Reviews are called for by the Global Compact itself, which recognized that most international migration occurs within regions. They present an opportunity for a State-led discussion on its implementation, to foster greater regional collaboration and pave the way for the global review every four years at the International Migration Review Forum.
The Global Compact for Migration is a non-legally binding, cooperative framework based on international law. Its 23 objectives are anchored in 11 guiding principles including the respect, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status.
The UN system, through the Regional UNNMs, is committed to supporting all partners in pursuit of the Compact's implementation, recognizing that this cooperative framework is an invaluable tool to ensure that migration benefits everyone.
