Human Rights Council side event on migration: building a new vision of governance based on human rights and solidarity, 16 September 2019

On 16 September 2019, on the margins of the Human Rights Council's 42nd session, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organised a side event entitled, Migration: building a new vision of governance based on human rights and solidarity. The event was co-sponsored by the governments of Mexico and the Kingdom of Morocco and focused on how to reframe the narrative on migration and building a new vision of governance based on human rights and solidarity.

The side event was opened with a video of Hari Kondabolu, as part of OHCHR's animated video series on migration, which speaks to the lived experiences of migrants and the communities that welcome them. Opening remarks were delivered by the Ambassador of Mexico and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, who both expressed concern at violent attacks across the world in preceding months and emphasised the need to address misperceptions and harmful narratives on migration and migrants as part of the solution. Panellists from HOPE not Hate, Seebrücke (Sea Bridge), and the Southern Border Communities Coalition shared their experiences working on the ground and provided key recommendations for Member States to consider in reshaping narratives on migration and building solidarity for migrants, including through the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration. More than 60 participants attended the event, including representatives from Members States, UN agencies, and civil society organisations.

Statements

• Ambassador Socorro Flores Liera, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN
• Ambassador Omar Zniber, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the UN
• Ms. Rosie Carter, HOPE not Hate
• Ms. Alina Lyapina, Seebrücke (Sea Bridge)
• Ms. Andrea Guerrero, Southern Border Communities Coalition