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Unresolved conflicts can result in refugee, migrant crisis – Granger tells UN Summit
During his address at the 71st Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), President David Granger said that unresolved conflicts are mainly responsible for most of the mass movements of
President David Granger and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, at the71st Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.
refugees and migrants in the world today.
Granger, who assumed the role as Guyana’s President after last year’s General Elections is participating in a high-level Summit on Refugees and Migrants. The confab aims to address the movement of large numbers of refugees and migrants with the view of coming up with a framework for a better international response.
The Head of State, in his address told the other Heads-of-State that the ‘Meeting’ offers the international community the opportunity to commit to a comprehensive solution to a complex and chronic problem.
He stated that the refugee and migrant crises confronting the world today represent grave challenges to the international community. He added that images and accounts of men, women and children, who are forced to flee their homes and homelands in search of safety, are transmitted daily and graphically by the mass and social media.
President Granger said that the community can no longer ignore the plight of desperate refugees and migrants, while adding that their conditions and situations demand a commitment to address both the root causes, as well as the human consequences, which accompany refugee and migration crises.
“Conflicts within and among states are mainly responsible for most of the mass movements of refugees and migrants that we are witnessing in the world today. Refugees and migrants, however, are not the only ones affected.
“Conflicts between states, if left unattended or unresolved, can escalate into regional and even global crises, which can threaten the existence of larger numbers of persons in wider areas, even beyond their country’s borders.” President Granger said.
The root causes of conflicts around the world, which have spawned refugee and migrant crises, must be addressed, the President said, while adding that the conflict-prevention and resolution must be part of the long-term response to the crisis of refugees and migrants.
“The international community has a responsibility to prevent these conflicts and to usher in an era of security and of the preservation of peace between states. Natural disaster has also, been a cause of the refugee and migrant problem.
“The global community must not ignore the impact which catastrophic natural disasters, including those caused by climate change, has had in triggering, which produces refugees and migrants.”
President Granger continued that Guyana is a member of the Caribbean Community and six years ago, it was overwhelmed by the death, disease, dislocation and destruction inflicted on the Caribbean state of Haiti, a sister member of the Community.
“The earthquake left thousands of persons dead and consigned thousands of others to a life as refugees in their own country. Haiti’s agony is being compounded today by the creation of new waves of refugees from the Dominican Republic.”
The President further stated that the Political Declaration on Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants offers a path towards addressing the problem, in a more coherent and comprehensive manner.
“The ‘Declaration’ must be backed, however, by the determination of the United Nations, to bring an end to international terrorism, state and intra-state conflicts that are active, incipient and latent.”
The Head of State said that Guyana supports the protection of the rights of all migrants and welcomes the process that the meeting will initiate for the convening, in 2018, of an intergovernmental conference on international migration with a view to the adoption of a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
“Guyana intends to play an active role in that process. We intend to ensure that the root causes of conflict are eliminated and that peace will prevail in the world.”
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