Exchange of views with Karen ABUZAYD, Special Adviser on the UN Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants at the Committee on Development (DEVE) jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), on&nbsp;the global dimension of addressing large movements of refugees and migrants, in the EP in Brussels. Statements by Karen ABUZAYD and Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

Committee on Development

VALENCIANO, Elena (S&D, ES)

ABUZAYD, Karen

The global dimension of addressing large movements of refugees and migrants: extracts from the exchange of views with Karen ABUZAYD, Special Adviser on the UN Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants

Interior, Arrival and first total view of the opening of discussions (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestine refugees in the near East (UNRWA), The perspectives of countries which have hosted huge numbers of refugees for long periods even decades, countries like Ethiopia, Pakistan, Soudan, there are countries like Bangladesh and Somalia which sometimes benefit from their diaspora ties and other times struggle with the loss of Human capital, in the views of migrants and refugees who tell us from their suffering of their dangerous journeys and the frustration that they frequently perceived as a burden rather than a potential resource.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestine refugees in the near East (UNRWA), One of the main themes in these negotiations was balance, in the first place this was about balance between refugee issues and migration more generally, some wanted a outcome document that would result in a more equitable sharing of responsibility for the world refugees, other were more focused on migration governance, countries of first asylum, particular lower and middle income countries which large and challenging refugee situations had very different priorities from those of the high income countries, situated at a greater distance from the conflict areas.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestine refugees in the near East (UNRWA), The declaration sets 4 common principles, guides our commitments and puts on a path for more just and predictable systems for addressing refugee and migrant movements. This a view where states proclaim that they work together to address these movements constructively, rationally and humanely. I hope that this positive thinking will make headlines and help change the negative narrative on those on the move.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestine refugees in the near East (UNRWA), The political declaration underlines that migration should be a choice not a necessity and what must we do to make this a reality, as many countries reminded us during the negotiations, we must keep a clear focus on development. Adopting the sustainable development goals was a major step last year, now we must achieve them. Many countries express concern that attention given to refugee movements in the Humanitarian response will detract attention and resources from the long term development agenda, but without development there is slightly to more irregular migrant movements. Therefore this means that renewing our intention to conflict resolution and prevention to many countries are torn apart by war and conflict, often persistent conflicts, real peace is not in sight for the children of many countries, Yemen, South Soudan, Syria, Iraq among them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, Special Adviser on the UN Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants , We heard from Domenico Lucano, the major of a Southern Italian village of 800 souls, who took in some 400 asylum seekers, and as a result he said he turned the village sagging economy around. Information of positive examples doesn&rsquo;t always travel swiftly, but information about negative examples swirls around the world quickly and does great harm.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestine refugees in the near East (UNRWA), Likewise in the declaration States commit to develop and implement a comprehensive refugee response framework, initiated by UNHCR in cooperation with governments, immediately and specifically for each large new outflow.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, In conclusion, global dimension means common legal standards and a comprehensive approach routed in the spirit of international solidarity and fairness and I repeat it will require leadership by example and sustained detention, we are grateful of the engagement of the European Union, including the European Parliament in drafting the global approach that will further discussed on the UN summit on addressing the migrants on the 19th of September.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur , This means that we have to design better and more effective development policies. And we also have to therefore organise more effective dialogues with 3rd countries. We shouldn&rsquo;t either forget the effects of climate change, a lot of these people are fleeing their region because they want to survive an impetrated trout and that means we really do have to design balanced policies to welcome these people and to accommodate these people on a sustained basis.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen ABUZAYD, (Talking about the two main work areas) : The one on migration is to arrive at a governance of migration that permits save and orderly migration, so that would reduce, we hope, the illegal migration.