Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
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)’.
The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.
How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Only one
Only two
All three
None
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was adopted at an intergovernmental conference held in Marrakesh, Morocco, in December 2018. It was not adopted by every member country of the United Nations.
The UN General Assembly subsequently endorsed the GCM through Resolution A/RES/73/195 on 19 December 2018. In the voting:
152 countries voted in favour;
5 countries voted against;
12 countries abstained.
Therefore, the expression “all the countries of the United Nations” makes the statement incorrect.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The GCM is explicitly described as a non-legally binding cooperative framework. Its objectives and commitments are not legally binding on UN member countries in the manner of treaty obligations.
Each country may implement it according to its national sovereignty, domestic laws, migration policies and administrative priorities. It provides common principles and policy direction for international cooperation but does not create judicially enforceable treaty obligations.
The GCM contains 23 objectives concerning international migration. They cover issues such as migration data, regular pathways, human trafficking, documentation, recognition of skills, protection of migrants and safe return.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The GCM deals with international migration. It was not designed to regulate internal migration or the situation of Internally Displaced Persons.
Internally displaced persons remain within the internationally recognised borders of their own country. Their principal international framework is the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, rather than the GCM.
The legal position of refugees is also distinct and is principally governed by the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. The GCM is primarily a cooperative framework relating to migrants.
Current status (2026)
The GCM remains a voluntary and non-legally binding global framework in 2026. Its implementation is reviewed every four years through the International Migration Review Forum. The first review was held in 2022, with the next review cycle relating to 2026.