Mrs. Amina Bouayach participated, on Thursday 27 January 2022, in the Global Consultation with National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) on advancing the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), co-hosted by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

This online event was an opportunity for participating NHRIs to share their collective migration-related human rights concerns and priorities and address the inputs for NHRIs’ participation in the first International Migration Review Forum to be held in May 2022.

At this event, NHRIs representatives presented the challenges they face in terms of protecting the rights of migrants and took stock of their experiences and good practices which are likely to improve the implementation of the GCM. They also discussed opportunities for NHRIs to use the IMRF to review and advance GCM implementation at the national, regional and global levels.

Within this context, Mrs. Amina Bouayach, CNDH Chairperson, moderated the session on Break out groups: Experiences, challenges and priorities for NHRIs working on migration and human rights. In this regard, she stressed the pioneering role that NHRIs are required to play to promote the GCM and contribute to its implementation and monitoring following the human rights approach to achieve efficient solutions and effective protection of rights.

Besides, Mrs. Bouayach highlighted the need to strengthen international cooperation related to migration as stipulated in the GCM. She also called for the implementation of national action plans that defend different principles included in this GCM. Furthermore, she underlined the need to provide quality data and statistics to enable efficient handling of migration issues and effective protection of the rights of migrants, etc.

The GCM, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, is a significant commitment from governments to take a people-centered and human rights-based approach to migration policy.

The GCM recognizes the critical role of NHRIs in the promotion and protection of the rights of all people including migrants and encourages NHRIs, GANHRIs and NHRI regional networks to engage in GCM implementation, follow-up and review at national, regional and global levels.

The first IMRF will be held by the United Nations General Assembly on 10-13 May 2022. This forum will be an opportunity to assess the status of the implementation of the GCM, with the participation of governments, migrants, NGOs, NHRIs and all other relevant stakeholders.