Amman, Jordan- A roundtable discussion addressing the issue of human rights of all migrants was held at the Le Meridien Hotel in Amman on Wednesday May 3rd 2017, with the presence of H.E Shuichi Sakurai, Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Munther Abu al-Obaid representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mr. Anders Pedersen, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Stefano Severe, representative of UNHCR in Jordan and Mr. Enrico Ponziani, Chief of Mission of IOM in Jordan. The discussion was organized within the framework of a capacity building project funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by the International Organization for Migration. The discussion were preceded by a workshop aiming at familiarize the attendants with the migration governance framework developed by IOM. 

The round table discussion brought together a number of stakeholders belonging to governmental institutions, NGOs and United Nation agencies. The overall objective of this discussion, the first of a series of six, is to provide technical support to the Government of Jordan in launching the national consultations within the framework of the international process towards the adoption of a “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”. 

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is an initiative forged at the Summit for Refugees and Migrants that took place in New York on 19 September 2016, during the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. The main outcome of the summit was the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (Resolution 71/1) that expresses the political will of world leaders to save lives, protect rights and share responsibility on a global scale. The Global Compact on Migration presents the international community with an opportunity to make a crucial contribution to global migration governance.  It is expected to provide a unifying framework of common principles, commitments and understandings amongst UN Member States on all aspects of international migration, including the humanitarian, development and human rights-related dimensions. 

Jordan’s contribution to the global process is highly valued as the country for the past many decades has been hosting thousands of refugees and migrant workers. The Global Compact is an opportunity for Jordan to share the knowledge and best practices, as well as the challenges identified by the Jordanian society during a long history as a country of destination for refugees and migrants. In addition, many Jordanians work abroad and this too is invaluable experience for the Jordanian government to share with other countries. 

In a speech delivered during the ceremony H.E. the Ambassador stated: 

“Today, the world faces an unprecedented level of refugees and migrant movement. In 2015, the number of migrants surpassed 244 million; and also, there are roughly 65 million forcibly displaced persons, including over 21 million refugees who mainly fled their countries due to the conflicts. As a member of the international community, the Government of Japan is delighted to support today’s round table discussion, which will be the first event aiming to support the Jordanian national efforts, for adopting the Compact by 2018. The Government of Japan welcomes IOM’s engagement in providing the technical support throughout this process. 

Mr. Enrico Ponziani, Chief of Mission of IOM Jordan stated: 

“The generosity of Jordan in hosting refugees, and the resulting experience in addition to being a country of origin and destination of thousands of migrants in the Middle East, is a valuable asset to be shared with the international community. IOM is honored to provide the technical expertise and venue needed to support the Government of Jordan in this process. The generous funds of the Government of Japan come at a critical time and build on a long-established partnership which supports the government of Jordan in its efforts towards enhancing its capacities.” 

For further information, please contact: 

Enrico Ponziani (Chief of Mission), eponziani@iom.int 

Laura Sisniega (Communications Officer), lsisniegacrespo@iom.int