Dhaka-Underscoring the need for devising a way to realise the transformative potential of migration, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the international community to take vow and act together to pull out the migrants from their miseries and agonies.“Migration is no longer about ‘us’ and ‘them’…it’s about prosperity and wellbeing of all the people, all States. We need to see how we can realise the transformative potential of migration by laying appropriate framework for governance of migration,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the three-day 9th Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
She also stressed the importance of securing a predictable and responsible international response to migrants and refugees to realise the promises of ‘transformation’ of the Agenda 2030.
Mentioning that people move around the globalised world for many purposes, she said, “Therefore, the challenge is to facilitate their safe, orderly and regular movement and ensure that a person moves as per his wish.”
She also laid emphasis on ensuring people’s movement and work with dignity and safety of each migrant. “We’ve to ensure that their rights are protected – in all situations, regardless of their status as we all agreed in New York in September last,” she said.
Recognising migration’s role in connecting communities, economies and societies, the Prime Minister said it is equally essential for peace, stability and growth in a diverse and connected world. “Societies need to understand the benefits of diversity for harmony among all people, including the migrants,” she added.
Observing that a migrant is not just a labour but has a unique story to tell, she said a migrant makes so much of sacrifice as he leaves his family and country. “Migrants contribute their ideas, labour and resources to the development of the host societies. They also spend their best part of life for others. Often we ignore their human stories, their inalienable rights as human beings.”
About the global development vision, popularly known as Agenda 2030, Hasina said all need to identify convergence of interests, balance needs, aspirations, security concerns and opportunities to realise the goals.
She hoped that Global Forum on Migration and Development will focus on some of the challenging issues like migrants in situations of crisis and conflicts, migration governance, diversity and harmony.
The Prime Minister also urged the participants to be ambitious, pragmatic and balanced in designing a new Compact.
She mentioned about Bangladesh’s proposed comprehensive Global Compact for Migration Governance at the UN at the UN Summit on Migrants and Refugees which the world accepted in September last.
Hasina also said the international community is working with States and civil society to push for a comprehensive Global Compact of Migrants and Refugees by 2018.
Local Government and Rural Development & Co-operatives Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam, Foreign Affairs Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Under Secretary General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs representing the Secretary General of the United Nations Wu Hongbo, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General Guy Ryder, International Organisation of Migration (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing and ILO Director General Lakshmi Puri also spoke at the programme.
A video message of UN Secretary General-designate Antonio Guterres was screened at the function while Colin Rajah, Chair of Ninth GFMD Civil Society Days (CSD), presented a report on GFMD 2016 on behalf of the civil society.
The three-day long ninth GFMD summit began at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital today to discuss ways and means to ensure overall welfare of the migrants.
The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Migration that Works for Sustainable Development for All: Towards a Transformative Migration Agenda’.
Representatives from 125 countries and over 30 UN agencies, international organisations, global civil society and businesses are participating in the programme.
