The Global Compact on Migration
How the first comprehensive international framework for migration governance was created, what it contains, and why it remains deeply controversial.
Filling the Governance Gap
Unlike refugees, who are protected by the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, migrants have historically had no comprehensive international framework governing their treatment. Migration was considered a matter of national sovereignty, with each state setting its own rules. This left enormous gaps in protection for the estimated 281 million international migrants worldwide, many of whom face exploitation, trafficking, discrimination, and dangerous journeys.
The 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants launched two parallel processes: the Global Compact on Refugees (led by UNHCR) and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (led by member states). The migration compact was adopted in Marrakech in December 2018 by 152 countries. It establishes 23 objectives covering the entire migration cycle, from addressing the drivers of migration to protecting migrants' rights, combating trafficking, and facilitating return and reintegration.
