Excellencies, Premier, Minister and Dignitaries, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As one of the lead co-organizers of this important two days event, I welcome you here in Durban and thank you for your participation in this timely High-Level Meeting on the theme, “Conflict-Induced Migration in Africa: Maximizing New Opportunities to Address its Peace, Security and Inclusive Development Dimensions”.
I thank the Government and People of South Africa for hosting this meeting. I also thank Mr. Senzo Mchunu, the Premier of Kwazulu-Natal who is here with us today for the warm hospitality accorded us since our arrival in this beautiful city.
When we decided to partner with ACCORD to host this event in South Africa, and in particular in Durban, it was because Durban is an epitome of a multicultural city where migrants have contributed to development and population growth, in an atmosphere of solidarity, tolerance and respect for diversity of cultures and religions.
I acknowledge and thank all the institutional partners who have worked assiduously with me and my colleagues in the Office of the Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa, in organizing this meeting. In particular, I thank ACCORD, under the able leadership of its Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Vasu Gounden, for the importance they attached to this critical issue, and for effectively demonstrating the value of true partnerships with the United Nations, the African Union and other partners.
I equally thank the United Nations Development Programme, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs for all the substantive support they have provided. Like OSAA, they are all concerned about this issue, and are keen to explore various ways and means to effectively address its political, humanitarian, human rights, developmental and peace and security dimensions.
The presence and valuable contributions of high-level representatives of Member States, regional organizations including the African Regional Economic Communities, academic and research institutes, civil society, diaspora and development partners, as well as of colleagues from the United Nations system in our meeting today, will no doubt guarantee that our recommendations are all inclusive to address all parts of the issue.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you are aware, there is currently a huge global focus on the issue of migration, both internationally – including from Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean; and internally within the member states of the continent. The policy discourses and actions on the issue has extensively addressed the economic benefits of migration, and further seek to promote voluntary migration for development, as outlined in both Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
More recently, however, there has been a strong push to focus more attention to the humanitarian, human rights, peace and security dimensions of forced migration. This is a result of the tragic loss of migrants in the Mediterranean, as well as of the increasing vulnerabilities experienced by refugees and internally displaced populations on the continent, who are forced to flee from armed conflicts, terrorism, violent extremism and other insecurities, outlined in the background issues paper prepared by ACCORD and in the concept note prepared by my office.
Across the continent, including in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan, we are confronted with the plights of refugees and internally displaced migrant populations who are in serious need of assistance, as a result of conflict-induced displacement. Yet our responses, as governments, the United Nations, the African Union, the RECs, international community and civil society are constrained by the fact that there is decreasing funding for migrants and refugees, amidst the rising demands for emergency relief, humanitarian assistance, human rights protection – including from sexual violence and human trafficking – and the need to put an end to the continued armed conflicts.
Given these constraints, a greater focus on the humanitarian, human rights, peace and security dimensions of forced migration also necessitates greater consideration and actions to effectively address the underlying root causes of conflicts. Only by tackling those root causes of conflicts that induce forced migration, and by investing in peace and inclusive people-centred development, can we properly address this issue. As President Jacob Zuma noted on Saturday on the special occasion held to award the African Union Commission the 2015 Africa Peace Award that is given by ACCORD, there is a need to promote peace on the continent, in order to “lessen the chances of our young people perishing in the stormy waters of the Mediterranean as they seek greener pastures”.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We, at the United Nations, have been deeply concerned about this issue, and are engaging at the highest levels in efforts to find durable solutions that are comprehensive and effective for addressing key priorities in the short, medium and long-term. In May, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the European Parliament on migration. In September and on the margins of our celebration of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, the Secretary-General convened a summit on migration. On 11 and 12 November, the Deputy Secretary-General participated in the Valletta Summit on EU-AU Migration that took place in Malta. Last week, the President of the United Nations General Assembly organised two high-level meetings to advance a comprehensive response to the global migration and refugee crises and their impacts. The issue has also been the focus of the G20, the G8 and many other fora.
All these focused meetings underscored the fact that conflict, insecurity and abject poverty are major drivers of forced migration. Consequently, the United Nations has increased its call for comprehensive and integrated approaches at all levels to inter alia prevent and address the drivers and root causes of conflict-induced migration. In particular, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is working hand in hand with Heads of State and Government for a holistic approach to save lives, enhance protection, uphold the principle of non-discrimination, improve capacities to prevent and respond, share responsibility, enhance cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination, and anticipate future challenges. All this is being done with full commitment to respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, as outlined in the “Human Rights Up Front” policy advocated by the Secretary-General and supported by member states.
This holistic approach is no doubt important for addressing the issue of conflict-induced migration in Africa, where we are witnessing a number of new trends with respect to the drivers and root causes of forced migration. The first trend relates to the linkages between political crises, governance failures and violent conflicts that induce forced migration, as evident in Burundi, Central African Republic, Libya and South Sudan. Thus, it is important to find durable solutions to governance challenges including the winner-takes-all elections syndrome, poor management of diversity, social exclusion and the inequitable distribution of natural resources that incite violent conflicts and forced displacement. Related to this is the need to invest in strong public institutions that are capable of effectively meeting the human security needs of all citizens, particularly migrants and refugees, and promoting the rule of law and human rights.
The second trend relates to the potential of conflict-induced migration to trigger xenophobic violence and reprisals, especially in situations where governments and local authorities are striving to strike the right balance between indigenes and migrants, as was the case here in Durban’s KwaZulu-Natal province earlier this year. This underscores the need to prioritize work on migration governance, including by establishing all-inclusive structures to address both the needs of migrants and host communities.
The third trend relates to the growing threats from terrorism and violent extremism that is resulting in an increasing perception of migration as a possible threat to national, regional and international security. The activities of Al Shabaab in East Africa, Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Moslem Brotherhood extremists in Egypt and Tunisia, as well as the recent attacks in Libya, Tunisia and Paris by ISIL and lately in Mali, not only induce forced migration, but also increasingly and unjustifiably places migration on the security agenda of a number of the receiving states. This has further resulted in the targeting of especially migrant Muslims and their labelling as terrorists or extremists, although a consensus exists that not all Muslim migrants are terrorists or violent extremists. Therefore, there is a need for programmes that promote a spirit of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and dialogue between all cultures, religions and ethnic groups in all societies. This will be crucial for effectively integrating legal migrant populations, regardless of their religion, colour, sex or ethnicity, into the social fabric of host communities.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its First 10-Year Implementation Plan provide new opportunities to address and prevent the drivers and root causes of conflict-induced migration. As an example, the African Union and the RECs are forging ahead with the flagship project on “Silencing all Guns in Africa by 2020”. The utilization of such initiatives and other elements of the global and regional agendas, should be maximized to prevent and address conflicts, as well as to protect and promote the rights of migrants and populations in countries of origin, transit and destination, utilizing fully the complementarity and synergy that exists between the regional and global agendas.
In addition, the specific outcomes documents of the three reviews of the United Nations Peace Operations, the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture and the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, will also provide useful entry points to enhance action towards the effective prevention and management of conflicts.
Therefore, in deliberating on this issue of conflict-induced migration, let us critically examine how these new agendas and outcome documents could be utilized to address and prevent conflict-induced migration in Africa. Let us also draw on the lessons learnt to put together some practical and concrete recommendations that could be utilized to enhance the efforts by the international community to better address the issue of conflict-induced migration and its implications at all levels.
Let us all be bold, creative and forward-looking in our deliberations to guide the international efforts on this important issue through the UN, the AU and RECs, as well as through all other partners present here today.
Thank you for your attention.
