The role of His Majesty King Mohammed VI as the African leader on migration was highly praised by the participants of the 1st Ministerial Meeting of the Champion Countries for the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration, which was held in Rabat on 25 March 2022, while also reiterating their full support to the Global Compact on Migration (Marrakech Pact).

In this 1st Ministerial Meeting of the Champion Countries for the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration, upon the invitation of HE Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and HE Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration, Mr. Antonio Vitorino, for a virtual meeting with the focus on the implementation, follow up and review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM).

In their final joint statement at the end of this meeting's proceedings, the participants stated that “We highly commend His Majesty King Mohammed VI's role as African Leader on the issue of Migration and His strong commitment through the African Agenda on Migration, a roadmap with a clear vision for the continent and the creation of the African Migration Observatory, hosted in Rabat”.

They also underlined that “We have gathered to reiterate our full support to the GCM, and commitment to keep working together towards a successful and robust implementation of the Global Compact,” indicating that they were convinced that “international cooperation and the sharing of best practices in the field of international migration in all its dimensions should be the norm, rather than the exception”.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM), which was adopted at the Intergovernmental Conference in Marrakech in December 2018, represents a major contribution of multilateralism and a collective commitment to improving cooperation to address the challenges and harness the opportunities of international migration and human mobility, through a comprehensive cooperative framework anchored in its vision and guiding principles.

The participants in their Joint Declaration emphasized that “Amid emerging transitions and in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vision of the GCM must be promoted in order to facilitate and recognize the benefits of safe, orderly, and regular migration for everyone”.

The Rabat Declaration recalled the shared responsibilities of countries of origin, transit, and destination in promoting, protecting, and respecting the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status, and also underlined the importance of coordinating international efforts to provide protection, assistance, and support to migrants in vulnerable situations, including victims of human trafficking.

In this framework, the participants expressed their concern about the global trends of xenophobia, racism, intolerance, stigmatization, and discrimination experienced by migrants and their families and called on the global community to promote balanced narratives on migration in order to help counteract these trends and create inclusive societies.

It concluded that “the Ministers of the Member States, acting as “Champion countries” for the implementation, follow up and review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM), commit to uphold the Rabat Declaration in our national interventions at the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), which will take place in New York, from 17 to 20 May 2022”.