On February 28, Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, spoke at the High-Level Debate on International Migration taking place at United Nations Headquarters in New York during a panel dedicated to understanding youth migration and engaging youth as key partners in migration governance.

In his remarks, Monsignor Camilleri said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees commit the international community to providing youth quality education, decent work, health care and fundamental rights States are obligated to protect and fulfill. This commitment is particularly compelling with regard to migrant youth whom he said are often the first to be left behind. Young people move for greater security, higher education, family reunification and better opportunities, but the majority leave home involuntarily because of conflict and extreme poverty. Young girls, he noted, are at added risk to violence and abuse along the journey and are vulnerable to traffickers. Their vulnerabilities can be significantly reduced by national action plans that are needed in countries of origin to ensure the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and through the establishment of regular pathways for migration. He expressed hope that the creation of the International Migration Review Forum will improve global migration governance and provide solidarity to migrant youth.

The statement can be found here.