IMO noted that the loss of life of migrants at sea needs to be addressed through appropriate and effective action at the United Nations. During the second workshop of the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM), held in Geneva, on 18-19 July, IMO’s Julian Abril underlined that the number of merchant ships involved in rescue operations has remained relatively constant since 2015.
The role of government and non-governmental organizations is vital in search and rescue operations, as well as the part played by merchant ships in coming to the aid of persons in distress at sea.
According to IMO, the average number of persons rescued by each merchant ship remains over 110. In 2016, a total of 381 merchant ships were diverted from their routes and 121 ships were involved in the rescue of 13,888 people. Of particular concern is the upward trend in migrants reported dead or missing at sea in 2016 and during 2017 to date, which, based on current statistics, can be expected to continue during the rest of 2017 and beyond.
The Geneva meeting offers a global platform to discuss and analyse migrant’s vulnerabilities and capacities, guide appropriate policy programmatic and operational responses to address them, and enhance resilience through protection and assistance services. The meeting is expected to identify challenges and propose what should be included in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.
The Global Compact on Migration is a UN Member State-led process that emanated from the 19 September 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants approved by Heads of State during the UN General Assembly. This two-year long process is expected to culminate in the adoption of the GCM at an intergovernmental conference on international migration in 2018. The outcomes of the Geneva workshop, along with those of the first workshop organized in New York in April 2017, will be included in a comprehensive report that will feed into the GCM.
