Timeline

Migration and Displacement

QUNO envisions a world where migrants, refugees and people on the move are all treated with humanity, dignity and respect.
June 2023

Human Rights Council: Special Rappoerteur on Migrants Emphasises need for an International Monitoring Mechanism

On Monday 26 June, QUNO’s Laurel Townhead spoke in the in the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, calling on the Human Rights Council to respond dehumanisation of migrants leading to deaths and grave human rights violations in transit.

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June 2023

Joint call for the UN Human Rights Council to respond to the global pattern of deaths, torture and other grave human rights violations at international borders

As part of our work to end lethal disregard for people on the move, the Human Rights and Refugees Programme has collaborated to draft a joint letter calling on the Human Rights Council to undertake a global investigation into deaths, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave human rights violations faced by people in transit across international borders. Joined by 228 organizations (by 25 June), the letter highlights the global pattern of deaths and grave human rights violations in transit.

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March 2023

New Opportunities for Breaking the Barriers of Systemic Racism in Migration Governance

On 29 March, QUNO Geneva engaged with the work of the Human Rights Council on systemic racism. Human Rights and Refugees Programme Assistant, Yasmin Beldjelti, spoke in both the Debate in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the General Debate Item 9 on Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance.

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March 2023

Ending lethal disregard for people on the move: working through the UN for migration justice

In line with our prioritisation of ending lethal disregard for people on the move as a core element of achieving migration justice, QUNO Geneva is engaging with both the UN human rights system and the UN migration governance architecture. 

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December 2022

Briefing paper: Using the Outcomes of the International Migration Review Forum for Migration Justice

The 2022 International Migration Review Forum was the first global reflection by States on the implementation of the GCM so far. While it succeeded in demonstrating a commitment to human rights-based multilateralism on migration within the United Nations, it did not deliver on all the demands and concerns of those working for migration justice. Further work is needed to make the best use of this steppingstone by building on its outcomes, including the progress declaration, national reviews and statements, and pledges. 

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October 2022

Saving Lives and Listening to those Most Affected: Key Actions for the UN Network on Migration

It is five months since States met at the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) to assess implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and agree priorities to accelerate action. The Annual Meeting of the UN Network on Migration in October brought together nearly 700 participants, including over 160 in person, from governments, UN agencies, and stakeholders to outline next steps. 

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October 2021

QUNO is on the Road to the International Migration Review Forum

QUNO welcomes the publication of the UN Network’s on Migration’s Roadmap for the International Migration Review Forum. Work towards this Forum is well underway and we have published a paper outlining what the IMRF is. This is our first paper in a planned series on Migration Justice: Delivering on the Promise of the Global Compact for Migration.

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October 2021

QUNO Engages with Human Rights Council Social Forum focussing on COVID-19

Marisa Leon Gomez Sonet addressed the Human Rights Council Social Forum to highlight the impact of COVID-19 and pandemic response measures on the human rights of migrants. 

During a panel on the impact on particular groups, she drew attention to the report from the Special Rapporteur on human rights of migrants on COVID-19 and called on states to:

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October 2020

Briefing Paper: Using the Regional Migration Reviews to Further Human Rights Protection

This updated paper is intended to help migrants, NGOs and other stakeholders to engage with the Regional Migration Reviews as part of their work to improve the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants. The Global Compact for Migration (GCM), adopted in 2018, is a significant commitment from governments to take a people centred and human rights based approach to migration policy and to work together towards this. The GCM invites regions to undertake reviews of the implementation of the compact every four years starting in 2020.

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October 2020

QUNO delivers oral statement on the human rights of migrants

QUNO works on the human rights of migrants at the international level to promote the protection of human rights of all regardless of migration status. As part of this work, QUNO delivered a statement at the 45th session of the Human Rights Council General Debate on the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. This declaration supports understanding of the human rights of migrants, recognizing and reaffirming the dignity and inherent worth of all.

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June 2020

"No-one will be safe until everyone is safe." QUNO welcomes Secretary General Guterres’ new Policy Brief.

QUNO welcomes the launch of a Policy Brief from UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, focussing on the situation of people on the move during the Covid-19 pandemic. QUNO has worked for decades on protection of refugees and in recent years on the human rights of migrants, and we are deeply concerned by the severe and disproportionate impact of the pandemic on refugee and migrant communities of all kinds, including migrant workers, migrants in irregular situations, and those in immigration detention.

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February 2020

Human Rights of Migrants at HRC 43

As part of its ongoing work on the human rights of migrants, QUNO delivered an oral statement to the Human Rights Council, urging the Council to take more focused and sustained action on the issue. Laurel Townhead, QUNO’s Representative for Human Rights and Refugees, listed the names of three of the thousands of migrants who have lost their lives, drawing attention to the individual human beings behind migration statistics.

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December 2018

The adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration: A QUNO guide for Friends

On 10th December 2018, after a two year negotiation process, States formally adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration at an intergovernmental conference in Marrakech. On 19th December, the Compact was then endorsed with a vote at the General Assembly in New York. 

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Event of Note
November 2018

Foundations for Implementation: QUNO launches new guidebook for States implementing the Global Compact for Migration

In December 2018, representatives from the Human Rights and Refugees programme traveled to Marrakesh to attend the 2018 Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

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September 2018

Joint NGO Statement delivered at the 39th Human Rights Council concerning the Global Compact on Migration

On Tuesday 11th September QUNO delivered a joint NGO statement during the general debate on the first oral update from Michelle Bachelet, the new High Commissioner for Human Rights.  

The statement focused on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and called on states and the High Commissioner to make concrete efforts to ensure a human rights based implementation, follow up and review of the compact.

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September 2018

Statement delivered at the 39th Human Rights Council concerning the arbitrary detention of migrants

On Wednesday 12th September QUNO delivered a statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on arbitrary detention, focusing on the revision and update of Deliberation 5, on deprivation of liberty of migrants.

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