Louise Arbour, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for International Migration, speaks at a press conference in Marrakech, Morocco, on Dec. 9, 2018. (Photo: Xinhua) 

New York (People’s Daily) - The Intergovernmental Conference in Marrakech has adopted the first ever global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.

"The global compact expresses collective commitment to improving cooperation on international migration," world leaders declared, acknowledging that migration affects countries, communities, migrants and their families in different and sometimes unpredictable ways. 

Member States came together in Marrakech to embrace the compact that sets a framework for international cooperation to better address the complex situation facing the world’s 258 million migrants.

The special representative for international migration, Louise Arbour, emphasized that “the overwhelming support of the international community for this compact is also an expression of multilateralism at its best.

"Governments committed to a global migration framework based on facts not myths, a framework that protects their national interests and in fact advances them through better cooperation."

The compact is not legally binding. Its guiding principles reaffirm states’ sovereign rights to determine their national migration policies and to govern migration within their jurisdictions.  As migration experiences and challenges vary across the world, the global compact is a flexible instrument that can meet the needs of every country and stimulate joint cooperation at all levels.

During the conference, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched a new UN network on migration that will actively engage with external partners, including migrants, civil society, the private sector and others.

The compact will be presented to the UN General Assembly in New York for endorsement at the end of next week.