Women’s Refugee Commission's Statement Regarding Finalization of Text for the First-Ever Global Compact on Migration

New York — Today, the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) responded to the finalization of the text of the first-ever United Nations (UN) Global Compact on Migration. The Global Compact on Migration is the first intergovernmental agreement that seeks to cover all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

Joan Timoney, WRC's senior advocacy director, made the following statement:

“The Women's Refugee Commission welcomes the finalization of the text of the first-ever United Nations Global Compact on Migration (Migration Compact). We acknowledge the strong efforts made by Switzerland and Mexico in leading the negotiations and welcome the consistent inclusion of gender throughout the document. As the organization housing the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, we also welcome the explicit call in the Migration Compact to ensure that women and men can equally confer their nationality to their children. Discrimination in nationality laws remains a primary cause for statelessness.

“We hope the Migration Compact will spark new momentum for countries to come together and guarantee the protection and human rights of all peoples, including those of migrant women who too often face specific discrimination at every stage of their transit and are disproportionately affected by sexual and gender-based violence.

“We remain deeply concerned about the cruel and inhumane practice by some Member States of separating and detaining families in order to deter or punish migrants from seeking protection, thereby violating principles of international law. The road to Marrakesh, where the Migration Compact will be formally adopted later this year, should be rooted in the guiding principles included in the Compact text, particularly international law, due proces,s and a whole-of-society approach that includes migrants, local communities, and civil society.”