The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, called on world leaders to tackle the root causes of mass population displacement more decisively, while showing humanity and respect towards the millions of displaced people worldwide.
Mr. Maurer stated in his speech that violence is all too often the cause of mass population displacements.
The ICRC president made these remarks at the meeting on handling the mass displacement of refugees and migrants, organized as part of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This meeting, attended by heads of state and government, aims to develop a plan to address the major challenges posed by migration worldwide.
The ICRC president emphasized that beyond the mass displacement of populations, it is the individual fate of human beings that is at stake, and that each of the 65 million displaced people worldwide “deserves to be treated with fairness and humanity.”
Furthermore, Mr. Maurer reminded states of their global responsibilities. “I ask you to respect the law, to enforce it, and to maintain a balance in this world where so many opposing forces are at work. Disregard for laws only creates more refugees and will prevent the safe return of displaced people.”
