2012-12-01 20:11:39

Calls for International Solidarity as migration grows


December 01, 2012: The 72 million forcibly displaced people, refugees, IDPs, stateless persons, victims of violent conflicts, other persons uprooted by natural disasters and development projects, are all witnesses of today’s crises that the political will of the international community either has failed or been unable to prevent. The situation calls for a humanitarian response that is coordinated, generous and effective, said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN in Geneva on Friday. He was speaking at the 101st Session of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Archbishop Tomasi further said that ‘these crises are precipitated by non-state actors, by persecution and by state repression, generalized violence and conflicts that are particularly destructive in urban areas. The difficult challenge is providing a humanitarian response that is determined by the degree of vulnerability and need rather than legal categories.’

The theme of the 2012 International Dialogue on Migration selected by the IOM member states was dedicated to migration crises and how international actors manage them. A human rights approach seems helpful in developing an adequate response. Further reflection on the forcible displacement of people by increasingly unpredictable disasters and explosions of violence can be another tangible contribution of the IOM, the Archbishop added.
In these circumstances, the expression of international solidarity becomes quite urgent and necessary, but it remains critical to look at forcibly displaced people as protagonists themselves, within the limits of their situation, in finding appropriate solutions to their plight and to their need of protection. As migrations grow in number and complexity, and with the persistence of displacement producing crises, leadership in developing a comprehensive framework to guide international actors in responding to crises appears as another timely undertaking. Likewise, the establishment of the Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism represents a substantial step towards ensuring a more effective response to migrants stranded in crisis situations.
The Delegation of the Holy See would like to recall that beyond being considered an additional strain to host communities, migrants are a resource for our societies. Besides the new and rich values and perspectives they are contributing, migrants sustain the economy through their work. In the planning by the international community migrations need to find their place, not only as functional to development and demography, but as a major human rights commitment and comprehensive humanitarian responsibility.








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