Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry participated, on Wednesday, in the opening session of the first Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

Shoukry said that the conference, more than two years since the adoption of the agreement, represented a good opportunity to identify the challenges, opportunities, and successes experienced by the Arab countries in implementing the GCM. 

He explained that the conference represents a platform to strengthen interaction and coordination among countries in the field of migration, and to facilitate the exchange of expertise among them to guide policy makers on best practices related to the implementation of the international agreement in the Arab region.

The Foreign Minister also explained the strategic vision of Egypt in dealing with the issue of immigration. This vision is based on the considerations of being a source, destination, and transit country for immigration at the same time.

The Egyptian vision is consistent with the principles enshrined in the international agreement on migration, primarily addressing migration issues from a comprehensive perspective that takes into account the development dimension and recognizes the importance of addressing the root causes of irregular migration, not just the associated security dimension of border management.

GCM is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement addressing international migration in all its dimensions. The two-day conference was attended by member states and all relevant stakeholders who reflected on the progress made since the adoption of the GCM in 2018. 

The conference was co-organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA), and the Arab League, in collaboration with the United Nations Network on Migration in the Arab region.