How world leaders are keeping refugees and migrants safe

The United Nations adopts the New York Declaration to preserve the rights of those forced to flee their home country

NEW YORK — Not since the Second World War have so many people had to flee their home country, so it was a special day in New York yesterday as world leaders joined at a summit to adopt the New York Declaration to protect the rights of refugees and migrants.

“Today’s summit represents a breakthrough in our collective efforts to address the challenges of human mobility,” said Ban Ki-moon, secretary general, United Nations. The goal is to ensure “more children can attend school; more workers can securely seek jobs abroad, instead of being at the mercy of criminal smugglers, and more people will have real choices about whether to move once we end conflict, sustain peace and increase opportunities at home.”

The global compact ensures “safe, orderly and regular” migration in 2018, as well as a number of other promises. It includes a plan to make sure refugee and migrant children receive education within months of arriving in their new home; preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence; supporting countries hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants and more.

Discussion on the topic will continue today as U.S. President Barack Obama hosts a Leaders Summit of Refugees to generate new global commitments.

Meanwhile, Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC) will lead a joint $15.2-million child-migration project in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua with its ChildFund Alliance partners, the U.S.-based Child Fund International and Spain-based Educo. Global Affairs Canada will contribute $12.6 million to the project.

_{photo by Philip Maher}