IMBR Initiative Observations & Recommendations For Revisions To The Global Compact Draft Rev 1

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) is to be “guided by human rights law and standards.” Given that the rights of international migrants are currently protected by a patchwork of treaty and customary international law, it is important that the GCM articulate existing law to clearly establish the rights of individuals crossing borders and to promote the protection of these rights in practice. Omissions in the GCM risk watering down these rights and undermining compliance with existing rights as well as the progressive development of the law protecting all migrants, regardless of the cause of their movement across an international border. The International Migrants Bill of Rights (IMBR) Initiative therefore seeks to provide tangible guidance for States to consider in the ongoing negotiation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. This document provides a concise analysis of the Revised Draft’s compliance with a set of core principles of existing international human rights law on the rights of migrants and incorporates specific suggestions to strengthen the text.