Brazil signs global pact on migration but Chancellor of Bolsonaro announces withdrawal | Internationale

The "Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration" was officially adopted Monday morning in Marrakech by consensus by the United Nations Intergovernmental Conference. Representatives from 165 countries of the 193 UN members attended the meeting. The text contains 23 non-binding targets for States that sign it. In Brazil, Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, welcomed the agreement and recalled the new Brazilian law on immigration, considered positive. Although the document does not legally compromise any government, it only took a few hours for the future Chancellor of the Bolsonaro Government, Ernesto Araújo, to announce that the Brazilian government will dissociate itself from the Pact next year. "It is an inadequate instrument to deal with the problem." Immigration should not be treated as a global issue, but rather in accordance with the reality and sovereignty of each country, "he wrote. .

The rapid withdrawal of Brazil This was another victory for the United States, which had opposed the pact from the beginning and exercised until the last moment significant pressures urging some countries not to participate, as indicated in this report. newspaper by diplomatic sources, civil society and the organization. In his message on the social network, Araújo, who preaches a special alliance and above all the allies of the United States, said that "immigration must serve the national interests and cohesion of every society. "and that it will welcome the Venezuelan refugees, but that" the essential thing is to work for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela ". Also on the network, the current Foreign Minister, Nunes Ferreira, reacted: "I read with dismay the arguments that seem to motivate the elected president to want to dissociate himself from the Global Compact on Migration." This pact is not incompatible with the Brazilian reality. We are a multi-party group. by migrants from all walks of life, "he said, recalling that the agreement concerned thousands of Brazilians abroad.

His final approval depends solely on the vote to be held on 19 December at the headquarters of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In any case, organizational sources claim that the fact that only 165 people have entered instead of the 180 foreseen is irrelevant. "The fact that some have not come because they lost the plane or for any other reason does not mean that they will not adopt it," said the same diplomatic source. . "Italy and Switzerland, for example, said they would not come to Marrakech because they wanted to put the agreement into parliamentary debate, but that does not mean they will not support it in the first place. end. "

In Belgium, the Flemish nationalist right refused to support the agreement and broke the coalition of government of which it was a part. Finally, the Belgian delegation went to Morocco, but with a cracked government. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was twice interrupted by applause during his speech. He recalled that he had submitted the pact to the decision of his parliament and had been approved by two-thirds of the deputies. "It shows my country's values ​​of support for respect, courage and responsibility … We need courage and responsibility, it's an important moment and I'm here in front of you, after to have made the decision to opt for international cooperation. "

The level of representation of each country was lower than expected. The heads of government present at the meeting constituted a minority, a total of 21, informed the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, Belgian Charles Michel and Greek Alexis Tsipras have been the strong points of the European Union. Other leaders, such as Brazilian President Michel Temer, have delegated their ministers and diplomats to the representation in Marrakech. Other governments have reduced the level of representation and the number of people sent to the meeting.

In some countries, such as Switzerland and Canada, there has been much debate about the ratification of the pact. In Spain, however, the adoption of the agreement and the presence of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have not been contested. "Parties, even those who use the phenomenon of migration to gain electoral credit, are aware of Spanish solidarity.Opening leaders were aware of the importance of being here and the Spanish government. is grateful that this is not a reason for confrontation, "said Secretary of State for Migration Consuelo Rumi.

The organizers envisioned the presence of the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, and set up a tent to receive him. Finally, Sunday night, UN officials were informed that the monarch would not be at the opening of the conference. The royal palace has not reported the cause of his absence.

At the same time, Mohamed VI issued a statement in which he declared: "For the moment, the global compact is a promise that history will judge.This is not yet the moment to celebrate its success (. ..) "The Marrakech conference is primarily a wake up call. And Africa is now responding to this call: present! The challenge of this conference is to show that the international community has made the choice of responsible solidarity. The monarch also said: "The page of history that is written today in Marrakech honors the international community and takes a step closer to a new migration order more just and humane."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged those present at the opening of the meeting not to "succumb to fear." Louise Arbor, UN Special Envoy for International Migration, added "It is astonishing that there has been so much misinformation about the Covenant and its content […] It does not create any right to migrate, it imposes no obligation on states." 19659002] Chancellor Angela Merkel, who in Germany had hosted 890,000 refugees in 2015 and the following year, 280,000 refugees, received a clapping applause after his address to representatives of delegations. "We must remember that the UN was created following the Second World War. It was a response to nationalism, a search for common answers. This is the object of this pact, international cooperation. This is the only way to make the planet better. "

Several representatives of the consulted delegations stated that the most important thing at the Marrakech conference is not that the United States and a dozen countries oppose the pact, but that the agreement has been adopted by the great majority of United Nations member governments.