Morocco to Host UN’s 2018 International Migration Conference

The United Nations General Assembly appointed on Sunday Morocco to host the intergovernmental conference on international migration in 2018.

The conference will see the adoption of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.

In 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted unanimously the  71/1 resolution dubbed “ New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants,” leading to the adoption of the global compact, which will take place on December 10-11, 2018 in Morocco.

This is not the only international event that will take place in 2018. The intergovernmental conference will complete the world forum on migration and development, to be co-chaired by Morocco and Germany, reported Maghreb Arab Press (MAP)

The 11th summit of the world forum on migration will be held in Marrakech ahead of the intergovernmental conference on December 5-7, 2018.

The global compact for migration aims to address humanitarian, human rights-related and developmental aspects of international migration, according to International Organization for Migration (IOM).

It also aims to protect the safety and dignity for all migrants, regardless of their documents’ status. The compact vows to ease pressures on countries that welcome and host refugees, build self-reliance of refugees, expand access to resettlement in developing countries and other complementary pathways, and foster conditions that enable refugees voluntarily to return to their home countries.

In recent years, Morocco has established itself as a country of destination rather than just being a transit country for refugees and migrants, aiming to reach Europe.

In October, Volker Turk UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection told Morocco World News that while “Morocco remains a transit country for refugees and migrants, it is also fast becoming a country of destination.”

He added that the North African country is attempting to offer protection to refugees under its National Policy on Immigration and Asylum (NPIA), which was launched in September 2013 under the instructions of King Mohammed VI.

Morocco has also set up regularization campaign for migrants and refugees, who are aiming to settle in the country.