150 UN member states adopt the Global Compact for Migration

At least 150 United Member states of the United Nations have adopted the Global Compact for Migration being held in Marrakech, Morocco.

While addressing the two-day conference that kicked off on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that all migrants must be protected against human trafficking, smuggling, and exploitation.

He says that over the last few years over 60,000 migrants have died while crossing from their countries to foreign lands.

Guterres added that migration has to be regulated and be done in an orderly and more humane manner with all countries participating.

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He decried the absence of some member states like the United States of America, Israel, Japan, Australia, Poland among others saying they must realize the significance of the Global compact for Migration framework.

“The Global Compact recognizes that safe, orderly and regular migration works well when it takes place in another well informed, planned and consensual manner. Migration should never be an act of desperation”, he said.

The UN chief further said that every country must work hard to provide conditions that allow migrants to become full members of the societies that they live in.

This can only be done by highlighting their positive contributions to the countries they have migrated to.

According to the 2017 statistics by International Organization for Migration – IOM, Kenya hosted the third largest number of refugees in Africa at 489,071 including 285705 Somali, 27979 Ethiopians, 35490 Congolese and 111045 south Sudanese.

IOM says that Kenya is a source, transit and destination country for men, women and Children who are subjected to forced labor and human trafficking.

The President of the United Nations General Assembly Maria Hernandez assured the member states that the Global Compact for Migration will not affect their sovereignty or impose on them rules of engagement on matters affecting the migrants.

She said the Global Compact declaration in Morocco comes 70 years after the international community adopted a universal declaration on human rights.

Moroccan Prime Minister and Head of Government Saadeddine Othmani said Africa, Morocco like Kenya is the country of Origin, transit and destination for migrants but added that the African continent is ready to collaborate with other continents in mitigating the problems and challenges facing migrants.

The Global Compact for Migration conference will come to a close on Tuesday.