08 July 2016 - Spearheaded by the governments of the Philippines and United States of America (US), the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) “Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Disaster” was successfully launched at the Palais des Nations, Geneva on June 27.

The Guidelines recognized the need to address gaps and complement existing frameworks in protecting migrants in vulnerable situations. It also provides a comprehensive and non-binding set of principles and practices gathered in consultation with governments, civil society, private sectors and international organizations. These principles and practices are aimed at enhancing mechanisms in relation to crisis preparedness, emergency response, and post-crisis action.

Ambassador Cecilia B. Rebong, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva, and Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto, USA Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, formally introduced and highlighted the importance of these Guidelines.

Ambassador Rebong emphasized that “in moments of crisis, especially in large scale crisis, there is a realization that one cannot do it alone – governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society must come together to quickly and flexibly assist migrants: to save lives, increase protection, decrease vulnerabilities and improve responses.”

Other speakers during the event include the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Peter Sørensen, the International Organization for Migration Director General William Lacy Swing and the International Catholic Migration Commission Head of Policy Mr. John Bingham.

The creation of these Guidelines is also due to the collaborative effort of the MICIC Initiative Working Group, which consists of the governments of Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ethiopia together with the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for International Migration, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University.

The MICIC initiative started in 2014 after it was formally launched at the 2014 Global Forum on Migration and Development in Stockholm, Sweden.

The final MICIC Guidelines will also be presented at the United Nations High Level Event on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants on September 19, 2016 in New York. END