World leaders on Monday joined the UAE's call for international cooperation to assist the recovery of migrants in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This development came during the opening ceremony of the 13th Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD).

The Summit began on January 18 under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. This year's summit is hosted by the UAE with the focus on the need for international cooperation and partnership to revive global economic development in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that has reduced the worldwide movement of people by up to 50 percent in 2020.

In his opening speech at the summit, Nasser bin Thani Juma Al Hamli, UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, called on the world leaders to come together as one community to address the issues of mutual interest.

"Recovering from this pandemic will take a global effort in which we all have a part to play. We must find ways to partner together: government with business and civil society, national administrations with local administrations," he said in his speech.

He further highlighted that migrants across the world must be empowered to play their role in the global efforts to tackle the pandemic. He noted that many of these migrants have the skills and knowledge to help in rebuilding their communities if they are allowed to do so.

"I hope that we will all, as a global community, take this opportunity to come together and look for ways to transform the future through innovation and cooperation," he added.

The minister underlined the efforts taken by the UAE as part of its national vaccination programme which has administered over 1.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses so far. He noted that the vaccine is available at no cost to all residents and citizens alike across the country. In this regard, he urged other countries to follow suit to provide free vaccination access to their citizens respectively.

Speaking at the summit, Luis Gallegos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ecuador, the chair of the GFMD in 2019, spoke about the challenges faced by world governments due to the pandemic in the past one year.

"The force and impact of COVID-19 have had a dramatic effect, of enormous intensity and cost to human lives. Maintaining safe, regular and orderly migration in the face of this has not been an easy task," he said.

Echoing Al Hamli’s call, several delegates noted that COVID-19 vaccinations are now becoming increasing available across various parts of the world. International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Director-General António Vitorino also urged the countries to intensify their efforts to ensure that vaccinations are available for every individual, including migrants.

In his speech, Vitorino highlighted that various governments have made essential policy changes in the past year in a bid to accommodate the needs of migrants in the wake of the pandemic. One of the major changes implemented by the government is with regards to the adjustments made in immigration procedures and finding alternatives to the detention of migrants. However, he also warned of the long-lasting impact of the pandemic on migrants.

Vitorino added that pandemic recovery will need ingenuity, openness and the capacity to innovate. In this regard, he called for devising new policies and measures to ensure that health and safety of people and global mobility work hand in hand in such as way that no country or individuals are locked out of international travel systems.

José Ángel Gurría, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD), affirmed that the post-pandemic recovery will by only partial from the steep recession of 2021, even as global growth is expected to rise by 4.2 percent in 2021 and by 3.7 percent in 2022. He further stated that global mobility will not return to previous levels for some time due to travel restrictions, weaker labour demand and increased remote working.

However, he urged for making the most of the opportunity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to change the global approach to address the challenges posed by international migration. Gurría added that there is a need for a broad, coherent and comprehensive approach. He also stated that the world needs an international migration strategy that will address all forms of complex challenges, varying from pre-departure to return migration.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson vowed Europe’s financial support to global recovery from the pandemic, training programmes and addressing the challenges posed by smuggling. In addition, she called for expanding migration opportunities to Europe, including to low- and medium-skilled workers. Furthermore, she explained the details of a €38 billion European COVID-19 recovery package and an €8 billion plan for migration management and asylum.

"It is my mission to build close, strong and mutually-beneficial partnerships. With the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum, we have the tools to build lasting partnerships to manage migration," Johansson added.

Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States, weighed on the UAE’s focus on regional perspectives while speaking about the efforts ensure to address the challenges faced by displaced people in Latin America due to the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis.

In the opening ceremony of the summit, these speakers were joined Carola Gunnarsson, Lord Mayor of Sala, representing local government; Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers, representing business; and Stella Opoku-Owusu, Deputy Director of the African Foundation for Development, representing civil society.

Talking about the challenges faced by the world due to COVID-19, Al Hamli shared a note of optimism. He said that the UAE welcomes almost one million new people, of every race and every religion, every year. He further asserted that this splendid flow of people is what sustains the country.

"This year, the UAE turns 50. In less than a lifetime, we have as diverse people but together as one community, transformed a corner of the Arabian Peninsula into the crossroads of the world. If you want to see the link between migration and development, look no further than the UAE," he added.

WAM