UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
47th session
ID with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
23 June 2020
Intervention of Portugal
Chairperson,
Portugal aligns itself with the EU statement.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report, in particular, for the recommendations on how to improve migration policies and practices.
Portugal sees migration as bringing a very positive contribution to societies in all spheres, including for the economy, demography and culture. We always advocated for multilateral approaches to migration, based on solidarity and human rights, within a rules-based international order and we continue to promote strengthened cooperation with countries of origin and transit, as no migration strategy will be effective and lasting without this.
We continue to resolutely operationalize our National Implementation Plan of the Global Compact on Migration, based on a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Portugal is proud to be a “champion country” of the Global Compact on Migration and we are actively committed to the UN Migration Network.
Working towards safe, orderly and regular migration can be part of the solution to the challenges highlighted in the report. Portugal sees labour mobility and ethical recruitment as priorities and is therefore a cofounder of IOM’s Global Policy Network to Promote Ethical Recruitment.
Chairperson,
Portugal is available to work together with our neighbours and other regions, to find common solutions for migration management: solutions that address the root causes of migration but also promote legal and safe pathways, solutions that fight human trafficking and smuggling, while quickly granting protection for those in need. Thank you.