Single title
On 22 and 23 May 2017, the UN hosted its second informal thematic session
of the Global Compact on Migration. Designed to gather information, the
sessions provide an informal setting for sharing experiences among UN member
states, together with civil society members. This particular session focused on
addressing human-made crises as drivers of migration and understanding
the challenges facing countries that host migrants. The first session, held in
Geneva on 8 and 9 May 2017, focused on social inclusion, intolerance and
the human rights of migrants. The informal sessions form part of Phase I of the
Global Compacts process, which will hopefully create a guiding framework
to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration for the international community.
This paper examines the Migration Compact in light of existing tensions
among UN member states, what it hopes to achieve, and how it differs from
the Global Compact on Refugees. It discusses the lack of African member
states’ participation in the Migration Compact’s process to date, and what this
means for the continent’s ability to inform the migration discussions in a way
that benefits its citizens and addresses African-specific migration challenges.
It also highlights potential challenges that could hinder the implementation of
a successful global migration management framework, and suggests what
the Migration Compact needs to tackle if it is to have long-lasting impact at a
multilateral level.
