Question 60 from UPSC CSE 2023 - Current Affairs

Question

Consider the following statements:
1. Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the 'Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)'.
2. The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
3. The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.
How many of the above statements are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. None of the above statements is correct

Strategy: - Evaluate statements for absolute claims and factual scope regarding the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).
- Statement 1's claim that 'all UN countries' adopted the GCM is inaccurate; several countries opted out.
- Statement 2 incorrectly asserts the GCM's objectives and commitments are binding; the GCM is non-binding and voluntary.
- Statement 3 wrongly includes 'internal migration or internally displaced people'; the compact specifically addresses international migration.
- Conclude that none of the statements are correct.

Key Info: The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) is the first intergovernmental agreement under UN auspices to comprehensively address international migration. It was adopted by 163 countries at an intergovernmental conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, on December 10, 2018.

It is important to note that not all UN member states participated or adopted the compact; countries such as the United States, Hungary, and Austria, among others, either withdrew or abstained due to sovereignty or policy concerns. The GCM is expressly non-legally binding, reinforcing the sovereign rights of states and providing a cooperative framework rather than enforceable obligations.

The GCM outlines 23 objectives, which cover various aspects including reducing vulnerabilities, combating exploitation, ensuring rights and basic services, and improving migration governance. Crucially, the compact specifically addresses international migration and does not cover internal migration or internally displaced persons, as these fall under separate national or humanitarian frameworks. While it reaffirms commitments to instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it does not create new binding legal obligations.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Only one

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Only two

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: All three