On 27 September, speaking at the Committee on Migrant Workers Day of General Discussion on the convergence between the Global Compact for Migration and the Convention on Migrant Workers, our Human Rights and Refugees Representative, Laurel Townhead, highlighted the value of using the respective strengths of these instruments and their follow up mechanisms. Laurel said: 

“when it comes to upholding the human rights of migrants regardless of status, we need all the tools in the box. Despite the politicisation of migration at national levels, the use of migration flows for political leverage, and widespread lethal disregard for migrants lives, States have created these tools (the Convention, the Compact, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur) and collectively we can – and must – use them to build towards migration justice.”

She gave specific examples of how the Compact and follow up by the UN Network on Migration and the Convention and its oversight by the Committee can contribute to upholding the human rights of migrants, with a focus on:

• Ending lethal disregard
• Preparing for human rights based responses to future health crises
• Dismantling systemic racism in migration governance
• Enhancing meaningful migrant participation

We hope that the Committee’s forthcoming General Comment and closer working on follow up to the Compact will contribute to progress in all of these areas in line with our ongoing work for migration justice.