Building on Morocco’s international commitment to human rights following the global adoption of the “Marrakech Compact” on migration, Rabat hosted a high-level UN-African meeting on Monday, April 21, focused on advancing the protection of the rights of migrant women and men. Initiated by the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), the event brought together key actors, including the United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW) and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), highlighting Morocco’s continued leadership in migration and rights protection on the continent.

The meeting provided a platform to present and engage in dialogue on General Comment No. 6, issued by the UN Committee. Notably, the drafting process for this text was launched in Agadir, Morocco.

General Comment No. 6 establishes a vital new reference framework that highlights the convergence between the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) — widely known as the “Marrakech Compact.”

The “Agadir Comment” is the culmination of a consultative process that began in Morocco, following a preparatory meeting dedicated to laying the groundwork for this text.

In her opening statement, Ms. Amina Bouayach, CNDH Chairperson and Chair of the Working Group on Migration within the NANHRI, emphasized that the CMW and the NANHRI's decision to convene this meeting in Morocco reflects a shared commitment to reinforcing the international protection of migrants’ rights and to giving tangible momentum to the implementation of General Comment No. 6.

Ms. Bouayach highlighted that the meeting serves as a collective space for dialogue and reflection on the complementarity between the two foundational frameworks— the International Convention and the GCM— within a global context marked by increasingly complex migration dynamics. These include intersecting geopolitical tensions, climate challenges, and the troubling rise of exclusionary, xenophobic, and isolationist narratives.

The meeting culminated in signing an unprecedented framework agreement between the CMW and NANHRI. This agreement aims to institutionalize collaboration and reinforce the protective role of African NHRIs in the field of migration.