A/73/PV.100 General Assembly

I would like to sincerely thank His Excellency Mr. Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, and His Excellency Mr. Agustín Santos Maraver, Permanent Representative of Spain, the co-facilitators of the intergovernmental consultations to determine the modalities and organizational aspects of the international migration review forum. I must commend them for their skill and patience in steering the complex negotiations on the text. I congratulate them on the excellent outcome and thank all member States for their useful contributions and constructive spirit during the negotiations. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/73/L.99. Before giving the floor for explanations of vote before the voting, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

I would like to sincerely congratulate the Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh and Spain for their commendable work as the co-facilitators of draft resolution A/73/L.99, which is being considered today by the General Assembly. It should be recalled that open, transparent and inclusive consultations were held with all members. We welcome the multi-stakeholder discussions with representatives of civil society and local authorities. We thank them for their leadership and the work of their teams in leading the process. For decades, international migration has been a priority for Mexico. We have maintained that this phenomenon, which is by definition transnational, can be addressed only through international cooperation and multilateral mechanisms. No country by itself can aspire to effectively manage flows of people. We believe that it is up to the United Nations to facilitate dialogue and assistance among its Member States in the area of migration. International cooperation in that area should be the norm, not the exception, but the undeniably disorganized progress of international migration forces us to undertake periodic radical reviews of the issue, analyse it thoroughly and attempt each time to develop better alternatives. That is what the international community expects from the United Nations. Mexico will vote in favour of the draft resolution. That vote demonstrates my country’s support for dialogue, understanding and cooperation, not unilateral decisions that violate international law. Voting in favour of the text means recognizing that multilateralism is the best way to address the complex challenges we encounter today, such as migration. We expect there to be some disagreement on the matter, but that does not eliminate the possibility of finding common solutions. Mexico will vote in favour because we know at first hand the challenges that migration brings. Irregular migration is unsafe and disorganized by its very nature. We must seek to ensure that migration is an option, not a necessity that forces people to leave their country of origin. Mexico will vote in favour because the international migration review forum will be open to all Member States. And precisely because we acknowledge that different situations exist in every country, we will welcome the various voices and perspectives at each forum held. Mexico will vote in favour of the draft resolution because it firmly believes in respect for national sovereignty and is convinced that the best way to demonstrate that respect is by cooperating with other sovereign States. Mexico will vote in favour because the progress declaration to be adopted at each forum will allow us to identify progress and areas of opportunity. By collectively recognizing those opportunities, we will be able to work together for the benefit of our peoples. Lastly, Mexico will vote in favour because it is convinced of the enormous potential of the 258 million migrants as drivers of sustainable development. We invite all member States to acknowledge one of the most relevant political commitments of our time — making migration a safe, orderly and optional process. We invite members to vote in favour of the text and to redouble their efforts on the ground and in diplomatic forums alike so that the United Nations can fully comply with the mandates we have conferred upon it.

I make this statement on behalf of the following delegations: Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, the Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as my own delegation, Morocco. Our group of delegations welcomes draft resolution A/73/L.99, entitled “Format and organizational aspects of the international migration review forums”. In that regard, our group of delegations would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the co-facilitators of the draft resolution, namely, Ambassador Masud Bin Momen of Bangladesh and Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver of Spain, for their efforts to achieve the text. Their leadership and expertise allowed us to achieve a very positive outcome, containing substantive and innovative elements for the international migration review forum, which is the follow-up mechanism to the Marrakech Compact on Migration. Moreover, their diplomatic skills were vital to elaborating a text that is acceptable to all those who participated in the negotiations. The draft resolution we are taking action on today is not creating something new. On the contrary, the decision to establish the International Migration Review Forum was taken in Marrakech on 10 December 2018, when we adopted by consensus the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It was further reaffirmed by the General Assembly when it adopted resolution 73/195, endorsing the Global Compact. Therefore, today’s draft resolution represents the implementation of paragraph 54 of the Marrakech Compact, which requested the determination of the precise modalities and organizational aspects of the International Migration Review Forums. In that regard, our delegations would like to reiterate our full and unwavering support for the Marrakech Compact on Migration as a milestone in the history of the global dialogue and international cooperation on migration. As recognized by the Compact, migration has been part of the human experience throughout history, and it has always been a source of prosperity, innovation and sustainable development in our globalized world. Furthermore, the Compact underlines the fact that the majority of migrants around the world today travel, live and work in a safe, orderly and regular manner. As the primary intergovernmental global platform for Member States to discuss and share progress on the implementation of all aspects of the Global Compact, the International Migration Review Forum is key to ensuring the appropriate follow-up of the Marrakech Compact on Migration. On that basis, our delegations participated constructively throughout the negotiations on the draft resolution. While we might not fully agree with some of its elements, and while we would have wanted to see some other elements included therein, we strongly believe that it constitutes a balanced text. For all those reasons, our delegations strongly support the draft resolution contained in document A/73/L.99 and ask all delegations to extend their support for the text and vote in its favour.

Allow me to commence by stating Indonesia’s support for the statement delivered by the representative of Morocco on behalf of a number of Member States.
International migration is a global phenomenon that in recent years has become contentious and has unfortunately given rise to a “me against you” mentality. In Indonesia’s view, international migration needs to be discussed together and resolved in a cooperative manner and not be obscured by unilateral interests or rigid sovereignty approaches. It is a matter of humanity. Indonesia therefore fully supports multilateral efforts to ensure that the future of the governance of human mobility, including workers’ migration, is safe, orderly and regular. That will definitely solidify the three pillars of our common efforts: peace and security, human rights and development. Supporting draft resolution A/73/L.99 today on the format and organizational aspects of the international migration review forums is a pertinent pathway towards achieving that goal. Be assured that Indonesia is fully committed to playing an active and constructive role in the implementation and review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Today’s vote on the modalities to review the Global Compact reflects our commitment to upholding the principles of human justice, compassion for humankind and leaving no one behind. Indonesia invites member States in this Hall to vote in favour of the draft resolution in order to make it possible for the Global Compact to serve as an effective global framework for humankind.

The Philippines aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Morocco on behalf of a number of delegations. We congratulate Bangladesh and Spain for the hard work that they put into crafting draft resolution A/73/L.99 and leading the process of consultations that resulted in a text that passed the silence procedure. We thank member States for their good faith and constructive engagement, which led to what we believe is a balanced text that reflects the various concerns of delegations. We regret that the draft resolution is being put to the vote since it only sets out modalities for a forum, which we already agreed in December 2018 to have. The Philippines supports the draft resolution, just as it did resolution 73/195, which endorses the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. We attach great importance to that resolution because it operationalizes the Global Compact’s objectives and commitments on dialogue, cooperation, sharing best practices and strengthening partnerships, among other things. We acknowledge that no State can, or should, address migration alone, and that is why we have the Global Compact. We have laid the foundation and, with this draft resolution, are setting it in motion. It is important for our delegation to ensure that there will be appropriate, available and sufficient funding for the conduct of the Forum, while being mindful of the cost- effectiveness of the mechanism. The Philippines remains steadfast in its commitment to the Global Compact for Migration to promote and protect the human rights of migrants, regardless of migration status. We remain optimistic that between now and 2022, none of us will falter in our commitments to protect the human rights of migrants, regardless of status. We will vote in favour of the draft resolution and invite other delegations to support it. We look forward to a robust first International Migration and Review Forum in 2022.

At the outset, El Salvador expresses its gratitude for the outstanding work done by the co-facilitators — Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver of Spain and Ambassador Masud Bin Momen of Bangladesh — throughout the entire negotiation process and for having come up with a balanced and coherent text in line with the mandate established in the follow-up and review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. El Salvador acknowledges that the adoption of the Global Compact represented a momentous step towards a more comprehensive mechanism for migration within the framework of the United Nations, encompassing a wide spectrum of rights throughout the migration cycle, while fulfilling the commitment we all made to meeting target 10.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies. In that regard, El Salvador recognizes that the International Migration Review Forum will be the main global platform for gauging the progress achieved in the implementation of the Global Compact and the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken in other international migration-governance frameworks. El Salvador stands ready to take the measures necessary to implement the Compact at the national and regional levels and to contribute to the first convening of the International Migration Review Forum. El Salvador will therefore vote in favour of the draft resolution, and we respectfully invite other delegations to do the same.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote before the voting. The Assembly will now take action on draft resolution A/73/L.99, entitled “Format and organizational aspects of the international migration review forums”. A recorded vote has been requested. [Subsequently, the delegations of Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Togo informed the Secretariat that they had intended to vote in favour.]

Before giving the floor for explanations of vote after the voting, may I remind representatives that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

As noted in our national statement of 7 December 2018, the United States does not support the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration or the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants of September 2016. We therefore object to the adoption of a resolution that establishes processes to implement or support the Global Compact objectives, such as the international migration review forums. We are not bound by any of the endorsements, commitments or outcomes stemming from the Compact process or contained in the Compact itself. The United States proclaims and reaffirms its belief that decisions about how to secure its borders and whom to admit for legal residency or citizenship are among the most important sovereign decisions a State can make. They are not subject to negotiation or review in international instruments or forums. The United States also opposes the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund to fund the implementation of the Global Compact, the participation of stakeholders and work on the Forum. The United States opposes the creation of new funding mechanisms and bureaucracies when there are already multiple United Nations agencies that manage existing mechanisms for addressing migration-related issues, such as through the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. We would like to highlight our ongoing concerns about the potential for new budgetary implications in this resolution. Holding a high-level conference for four days imposes an unnecessary financial and time burden on Member States and United Nations agencies. We note that the prior United Nations high-level meetings on migration were no longer than two days. We urge this body to be prudent about its use of funds and to avoid unnecessary and cumbersome costs.

In 2018, Italy abstained in the voting on the resolution adopting the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (resolution 73/195). Since resolution 73/326, adopted today, can be considered a follow-up to the Global Compact, we have remained consistent by confirming our abstention today. I would also like to add that my delegation does not support the inclusion of operative paragraph 16 in the final text of the resolution and that Italy will not contribute in any manner to the Start-Up Fund for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.

I am making this explanation of vote after the voting on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, the Gambia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Senegal, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. On paragraph 18 (a) of the resolution we have just adopted (resolution 73/326), entitled “Format and organizational aspects of the international migration review forums”, our group of delegations would like to underline that the term “within existing resources” in the aforementioned paragraph should never be interpreted as implying any restrictions on the resources that will be allocated to this new mechanism and should in no way condition or limit its functioning or ability to fulfil its mandate. This is in line with the explanation provided by the Secretariat during the negotiations. It is our understanding that all necessary resources for the forums will be made available from the regular budget of the United Nations. We would like for this statement to be transmitted, alongside the resolution, to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee when they consider its programme budget implications.

First of all, let me express our sincere gratitude to both co-facilitators, Ambassador Masud Bin Momen and Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver, for their leadership and excellent work on the matter. As we stated in the course of the voting on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in the General Assembly on 19 December 2018 (see A/73/ PV.60), the Czech Republic decided not to join the Compact and consequently did not participate in the intergovernmental conference to adopt the Compact in Marrakech. Recalling these facts, the Czech Republic cannot accept the expression “welcoming” in the first preambular paragraph of resolution 73/326, as we reiterated in the course of its drafting. As a result, the Czech Republic decided to abstain in the voting on the resolution today. However, we would like to stress that the Czech Republic considers the international migration review forum to be an important platform for discussion about the problems of global migration. That was also the precise reason why we joined the negotiations in the first place. We therefore welcome the fact that the international migration review forums shall remain open to all countries, and we look forward to further cooperation in the field of international migration.

As the Assembly may recall, following the decision of the Latvian Parliament we abstained in the voting on resolution 73/195 (see A/73/ PV.60) and did not join the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. For the same reasons, we abstained in the voting today on resolution 73/326, entitled “Format and organizational aspects of the international migration review forums”.

I now give the floor to the observer of the Holy See. Monsignor Grysa (Holy See): My delegation would like to thank the co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh and Spain, for their leadership and efforts during the negotiations on resolution 73/326, entitled “Format and organizational aspects of the international migration review forums”. Informal consultations were led with exemplary transparency and a commitment to listen to everyone in order to achieve consensus. My delegation therefore congratulates the co-facilitators and all Member States that engaged constructively in that process. From the very beginning, the Holy See was very supportive of the whole process leading to the intergovernmental consultations and negotiations on issues related to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Although it is the fruit of compromise and hence not perfect, the Global Compact is a historic advancement in our shared responsibility to act in solidarity in favour of people on the move, especially those who find themselves in very precarious situations. The Global Compact, however, will be successful only if it becomes the heart and soul of a shared journey of solidarity, mercy, prudence, responsibility and respect, which is good for individual communities and countries as well as for people on the move. The international migration review forums are an important element of that shared journey. My delegation is particularly pleased that they do not limit their activities to the evaluation of the implementation of the 23 objectives of the Global Compact, but also aim to identify the key challenges, opportunities and emerging issues, and the scope for further international cooperation on international migration, possibly involving also those countries that have not adopted the Global Compact. In fact, that shared journey can happen only if all of us concretely commit to doing and giving our share.

Our delegation would like to extend our appreciation to the co-facilitators of resolution 73/326, the Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh and Spain, for their hard work and tireless efforts throughout the process of consultations and informal meetings. Viet Nam recognizes the importance of the international migration review forums as a platform to exchange views and share experiences, and thereby positively contribute to the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. We therefore voted in favour of the resolution. However, we are aware that there is no perfect text that can meet or reflect the different requirements and interests of all countries. We therefore believe that there is room for future improvement and clarification of some elements and concepts in the resolution. We are of the view that to ensure that the international migration review forums are conducted in an effective and constructive manner, consultations with the wider United Nations membership need to be guaranteed, in preparation for the discussion on the addition of the international migration review forums. Last but not least, when participating in the review process, the International Organization for Migration and the relevant United Nations bodies must operate within their respective mandates.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote after the voting. I shall now make a very short closing statement. Seven months ago, the General Assembly endorsed the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Today I am pleased that we are moving forward with the implementation of the Global Compact through the adoption of resolution 73/326, on the modalities of the international migration review forums. The forums will become a foundation for the implementation of the Global Compact, which aims to achieve a positive impact on the lives of millions of migrants, their families and communities around the world. It provides room for Member States to share their best practices and challenges. It gives space for partners such as the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector and migrant communities to engage. The international migration review forums establish a cooperation and exchange mechanism for each country to act according to its own priorities, visions and internal frameworks to achieve safe, orderly and regular migration. Today’s decision by the General Assembly underlines the importance of cooperation, multilateralism and the relevance of the United Nations. With the adoption of the resolution, we send a strong message that we must work together to find solutions to global challenges. Let me once again take this opportunity to thank to the two co-facilitators, the Ambassadors of Spain and Bangladesh, for their tireless efforts and outstanding work. I would also like to thank Member States and stakeholders for their engagement in and commitment to achieving that very important result and maintaining the momentum created over the past several years. (spoke in Spanish) The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda items 14 and 119.

I now invite the attention of the General Assembly to the note by the Secretary-General contained in document A/73/946, circulated under agenda item 32, “Report of the Peacebuilding Commission”. Members will recall that the General Assembly concluded its consideration of agenda item 32 at its 82nd plenary meeting, on 20 May 2019. In order for the Assembly to consider the document before it today, it will be necessary to reopen its consideration of agenda item 32. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to reopen its consideration of agenda item 32?

The General Assembly will now consider the note by the Secretary- General issued as document A/73/946, concerning the extension of the appointment of the Assistant Secretary- General for Peacebuilding Support. Members will recall that, in its resolution 62/236, of 22 December 2007, the General Assembly decided that the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support shall be appointed following consultations with Member States and shall serve for one fixed term of five years without possibility of renewal. As indicated in document A/73/946, on 2 September 2014 the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco of Argentina as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, for a five-year term which began on 1 November 2014 and due to end on 31 October 2019. In the light of the particular impact of all of the ongoing reforms on the Peacebuilding Support Office and the need to minimize disruptions during the critical implementation phase of the reforms, the Secretary- General wishes to propose that the General Assembly approve, notwithstanding paragraph 70 of General Assembly resolution 62/236, the exceptional extension of the term of Mr. Fernandez-Taranco as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support by two years, until 31 October 2021. May I therefore take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to approve, notwithstanding paragraph 70 of resolution 62/236, the exceptional extension of the term of Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco of Argentina as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support by two years, until 31 October 2021?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 32?