Mercy Global Action at the UN Intern, Colleen Cloonan, attended the Third Thematic Session on facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration, held in Geneva from 19-20 June. The theme for the meeting was “international cooperation and governance of migration in all its dimensions, including at borders, on transit, entry, return, readmission, integration and reintegration”.

L-r: Cecilie Kern, Colleen Cloonan

During the two days a variety of panels presented an overview of best practices, policy gaps, and offered potential solutions to Member States on the subject of migration. An interactive exchange with criticisms, recommendations, and support between the Member States and Civil Society Stakeholders followed each panel. It is hoped that through these interactive discussions Member States can come to a deeper understanding of the issues at hand from both a grassroots and policy level in order to develop a stronger consensus on international migration.

Colleen Cloonan, together with Cecilie Kern of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, delivered a joint statement on behalf of both organizations at an informal dialogue with the Co-Facilitators of the Session, the Ambassadors of Mexico and Switzerland.

This statement was written as a response to the Issue Brief #3, that was sent out to prepare Member States and Civil Society Stakeholders for the discussions at the Session. Some key components within their statement included: the “human rights of all must be upheld throughout the migration process, regardless of status”; “border management policies must be human right-based and gender and age-sensitive”; “authorities, including border agents, police, military and other security forces, must be held accountable for human rights violations, including exploitation and corruption”; and that “families should never be separated by policy enforcement, and children, including unaccompanied and separated children, should never be placed into detention or criminalized for their migratory status or that of their parents”.

Some key outcomes of conversion, consensus and challenges from the Member States at the end of the Thematic Session were that more international cooperation is needed on a basis of borders, entry, return, readmission, integration and reintegration, and that the Global Compact on Migration must: uphold national sovereignty; support human rights; build upon existing frameworks; learn and develop best practices; consist of stronger data, monitoring, and evaluation; and use the International Organization on Migration (IOM) as a critical actor throughout the process

Three more Thematic Sessions remain this year before the Co-Facilitators will draft the Global Compact for Migration. In September of 2018, the General Assembly will then hold an intergovernmental conference to adopt the Global Compact for Migration.

Mercy Global Action at the UN stands committed to following and participating throughout the rest of the process.

Messages to: Colleen Cloonan - MGA Intern