It seems that the atmosphere regarding the topic of forced migrations is quite unified. The delegates are more or less united in their opinion that forced migrations represent one of the most burning and complex issues that the international community has to tackle. But how? Some representatives have already indicated what the policy of their country toward tackling the issue of forced migrations might be.
A very often heard demand during the speeches was the policy of burden sharing. It goes without saying that this policy was mentioned by most of the representatives of African states and also by some EU member states. Sharing the burden and responsibility between all of the states in the international community was a strong message at the GA opening session.
There have been several mentions of the issue of human trafficking and smuggling which should be - in opinion of some member states - also addressed and tackled in the light of solving the issue of forced migrations.
There are also some states – a minority though – that believe that the issue of forced migrations should be tackled by each states individually. Russian Federation, China, Malaysia and Cuba emphasized that they believe in non-interference in internal affairs. Similar thoughts could be extracted from the speech of Iranian representative.
Some have merely touched the issue of forced migrations, while others have put a lot of emphasis on it. Let’s see what each state individually had to say about it. Algeria emphasized the important issue of human trafficking and smuggling. Algeria hosts more than 250.000 refugees but before dealing with humanitarian consequences of forced migrations, Algeria deems important to look at the cause of migration. The representative mentioned a few; Morocco's colonization of Western Sahara, occupation of Palestine etc. Algeria also demands an international sharing of this burden. Argentina was also concerned about the issue of trafficking. Argentina constitutes an important regional point for migrants from neighbouring countries which migrate mostly for economic reasons. To deal with the issue Argentina proposes that states should promote human rights and diversity. They also emphasize that states should consider creating a special program which would help raise awareness of human trafficking. Australian representative said that countries are now more than ever responsible to cooperate. Forced migrations is a topic that Australia is dealing with on daily basis, since Australia receives a lot of immigrants - most of them are forced to leave their country due to poor economic situation. Australia believes that breaking international smuggling networks should solve the problem. China expressed a concern about forced migration which is in their view caused by persecution, conflict, natural and human made disasters. China urges the international community to work together in economic development, which is the only durable solution to this issue. Cuba emphasized that there exists a need to strengthen humanitarian assistance but that the real cause should be illuminated – which is in Cuba’s view foreign interference. Czech Republic sees forced migrations as one of the most important issues for society. They believe that the task for states is to prevent displacement. Czech Republic also acknowledged that the state border is no longer meant to be a fortress. The delegate of Egypt emphasized that challenge of increasing number of refugees and IDPs is a global issue. In order to solve the issue of refugees they believe in shared responsibility and burden sharing in order to solve the issue of refugees. “We call on the member states to work in direction of establishing a mechanism of burden sharing,” added the representative. Ethiopia shared this point of view and expressed the need for spirit of shared responsibility. As the representative exposed, Africa is faced with this issue day by day. The extent of this issue and pressure of forced migrations for developing countries is a strong reminder to the whole international community of the need to address the issue. France was also very in favour the idea of policy of burden sharing. Germany sees the issue of forced migrations as a serious problem and it should be dealt as such. “We must work on the ground, we must show people that we do care and don’t wish them to leave their home,” said the representative. He also added that this has been an on-going problem which must be addressed now. India emphasized that states should face these issues as a family. The representative exposed another aspect of migrations which is in India’s point of view one of the positive effects of globalization, however they do acknowledge that forced migrations have different character. Indonesia is of the opinion that international cooperation should be strengthened – also in the area of forced migrations. This cooperation should be rooted in sharing best practices, lessons learned and technical assistance. Iran's viewpoint was quite critical, the delegate exposed the refugee issue as an enormous problem for Iran. There is a massive influx of African and Iraqi refugees. Although it was in their opinion the United Kingdom and United States of America who attacked two of their neighbours and threw them back in the stone age, Iran has to take care of refugees that flee from the attacks. Israel expressed the concern that forced migration denies the people their basic human rights. The representative said that in order to solve this problem, causes have to be tackled – slavery, human trafficking and natural disasters. Italy emphasized the gravity of situations in Syria, Congo, Mali and South Sudan. As one of the biggest recipients of forced migrants, Italy stressed the importance of prevention of forced migrations, international cooperation and burden sharing. Malaysia recognized the dangers that forced migrants face in transit and how they are unable to access basic services. The delegate emphasized that migrations play different roles and create different impacts. She also addressed the countries to express their concerns about the issue but to keep its resolving in the jurisdiction of each individual state. Mexico recognized forced migrations as a global phenomenon, which is in their opinion an integral part of solution. The delegate called on states to act in according with promotion of migrant’s rights. Mexico also demands a change of the system on multilateral level to grant migrants their rights regardless of race. Nigeria sees the conflict as one that can only be tamed by enabling each and every individual equal opportunities. Cooperation, free trade and knowledge are in their opinion key in resolving this issue. And as Nigerian delegate emphasized – forced migration is a preventable phenomenon. Republic of Korea expressed a concern about the issue of trafficking and smuggling. “We need to implement new policies that will protect migrants but at the same time we should not forget about existing platforms,” stated the delegate. Russian Federation emphasized that increased international cooperation is needed but must be based on mutual respect and not interference. Saudi Arabia exposed the problem of trafficking and smuggling of women and children. They see a solution in establishing a global mechanism to address this issue. South Africa stated that it already provided for better protection of refugees and now encourages states that have not yet ratified relevant human rights documents. In their view solving this issue needs an effective preventive measures and the policy of burden sharing. Spain emphasized that forced migrations are one of the most complex issues and that all states must work together in addressing it. Swedish delegate said that whether caused by natural disasters, war or human trafficking, forced migrations represent violation of human rights. Therefore a new set of norms and practices is required to tackle the issue. Strong legislation and partnership are needed, especially for states or origin and transit. The representative of Tunisia exposed the burning issue of situation in Syria in connection with forced migrations. Turkey sees that eradicating the conditions that create forced migrations as well as burden sharing should be developed. States should also look toward preserving the dignity and assuring assistance to forced migrants. United Kingdom also mentioned the situation in Syria and the many refugees and displaced persons; communities and families destroyed. UK sees this as a unique opportunity to enhance the efforts. They also urge the international community to focus on preventing, building free and fair societies that will prove resilient to shocks. United States of America is a target destination for many migrating people, who also become citizens. They emphasized that every individual is entitled to his or her own rights and that the issue of forced migrations needs full and immediate attention. The USA believes that there is a need for control of the transition and securing each individual. Venezuela emphasized that interethnic conflicts and forced migrations are strongly connected. “To avoid them we have to teach our people how to live in peace and harmony,” said the representative.
Tamara Kajtazović
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