On December 10, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Francis and Head of the Delegation of the Holy See to the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Marrakech, Morocco, gave a statement during the First Dialogue of the Conference that was dedicated to the theme of “Promoting Action on the Commitments of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.”   

In his statement, Cardinal Parolin focused on the commitments to peace and disarmament and to integration, which he said are bookends to keep the other GCM commitments upright and orderly. With regard to peace and development, he said we must address the root causes of the migratory flows, especially violent conflicts, extreme poverty, natural disasters and environmental degradation. What’s needed, he said, is a commitment to the integral development of every person, noting that few would leave if they had access to jobs, health care, education, religious freedom, political participation and other basic goods. Concerning integration, he said that migrants must be treated with dignity, which involves due process, protection from traffickers, familial unity, and respect for their religious beliefs and traditions.

The statement can be found here.