RABAT, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the Global Compact on Migration fully respects sovereignty of states.
The UN chief made the remarks at a press meeting in the Moroccan city of Marrakech after the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was adopted by more than 150 countries at the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Migration.
This GCM establishes a "framework of international cooperation that is absolutely essential when we face the enormous challenges of migration in today's world," he stressed.
Guterres highlighted the immigration tragedies in which "people try to have a better life put themselves in the hands of traffickers and smugglers."
These tragedies "dramatically violate their human rights and cause so many to die," he said.
According to the UN chief, the compact combines the two goals of respecting the interests of the state and guaranteeing the human rights of migrants.
The GCM provides more opportunities for legal migration, taking into account the needs of markets, the demography and the situation of different countries in the world, Guterres explained.
The UN-backed compact will also guarantee more effective efforts in cracking down on smugglers and traffickers, he added.
