UN Envoy 'Very Confident' on Migration Pact Despite Attacks'

UN special representative for migration Louise Arbour says she is "very confident" on the future of an international pact on migration despite a string of countries opting out, reported AFP.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was finalised at the United Nations in July after 18 months of negotiations and is to be formally adopted on Monday at a conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh. 

A number of countries, including Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States, are refusing to support it.

Here are Arbour's comments from an interview with AFP:

Future of this accord?
"I am very confident: a large number of states continue to keep their word, they reached agreement on July 13 in New York after very serious and very intense negotiations. 

"The countries dropping out of the process today had after all obtained concessions during the negotiations, and I must admit that I find it a little surprising."

What is at stake?
"There are many different issues at stake: economic, to maximise the positive effects of migration on economies of host countries, on countries of origin, on the migrants themselves, on communities which receive them. 

"Humanitarian issues are at stake: to save lives, to better cooperate and better manage irregular migration, with people in transit countries in very vulnerable situations. 

"So, there are security, political, economic, humanitarian aspects."

Why the negative reactions?
"Talk on migration, for a very long time, has always focused on negative aspects: in the media, in conversations, there is a lot of emphasis on...