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International Migrants Day - 18 December 2015

Message by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

Globalisation is increasingly marked by the movement of women and men, affecting countries of origin, transit and destination across every continent, including more than 232 million international migrants worldwide.

This year, we have witnessed the drama of hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean, forced to flee homelands, with the dream to build new, prosperous and safe lives -- many of them never arriving at their desired destination. This tragic reality highlights the urgency of a coordinated global response to international migration.

© UNICEF/UNI195353/Georgiev
August 2015: Lamar (foreground), 4, travelled with her mother for just over two months from the Syrian Arab Republic to the Gevgelija border crossing.

Migration has always been part of the history of humanity, and this has contributed to the cultural, economic, scientific and technological wealth of the world as we know it today. More than ever, we must raise awareness in every society about the benefits of migration for well-being and development and we must fight against all forms of racism and discrimination.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides the basis for new action – embodied in Sustainable Development Goal no. 10 “to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies".

UNESCO will work with United Nations partners in the Global Migration Group to implement the migration-related goals in the 2030 Agenda. We must ensure that migrants may enjoy fully their human rights, including the right to education and participation in cultural life.

To reduce the cost of migration, UNESCO has embarked on elaborating a universal standard for the recognition of diplomas and qualifications. We are advancing Global Citizenship Education to promote new forms of solidarity, based on mutual understanding and respect between all peoples. UNESCO is leading the International Coalition of Cities against Racism and Discrimination, to promote more inclusive cities and improve the wellbeing of all inhabitants. Similar goals guide the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), which UNESCO is spearheading across the world, to deepen intercultural dialogue.

Today, millions of women, men and children have embarked upon cross-border migration in pursuit of a life of dignity, respect for fundamental rights, freedom from poverty and the danger of conflict. On this International Migrants Day, I call on all Member States and partners to renew their commitment to global solidarity, to craft new paths to sustainable and lasting development where no one is left behind.

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