"We are facing a reverse historical process"

IPCM has promoted a European meeting in Porto, organized by FIDESTRA, attended by leaders of social entities from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Hungary and Poland.

In his speech, the IPCM president, Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga, pointed out that immigration is at the center of the social debate, to the point that the British Prime Minister yesterday pointed out this issue as a key point to justify the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU.

“We are facing a reverse historical process,” said Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga, who is also rector of the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU of Barcelona. He explained that, for decades, the EU has been expanding and that we have been working for many years to strengthen the common immigration and refuge policy, to give joint responses to such broad challenges. Brexit opens a stage of new complexity.

On July 8 and 9, 2019, the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU of Barcelona hosted the international seminar "Global problems, five centuries after the first round to the world" (see program) It was organized by the International Platform for Cooperation and Migration and UOA-CEU, with the support of EZA and the European Union.

The seminar contributed to the debate on the role of workers' organizations and social organizations in present-day Europe, the analysis of European policies on immigration, the rights of migrants as well as the new challenges for socio-labor integration. All this from within a framework of study based on a global scope of problems, five centuries after the first round to the world.

Letter from the President of the IPCM

Paris, February 21, 2019

On the occasion of the meeting of the Board of Directors of IPCM, we thank FIDESTRA for organizing the seminar that brought us together.

The IPCM turns ten years old. In 2009, a group of social entities from several countries, meeting in Madrid, decided to give legal form to the platform that had been functioning informally. The PICM/IPCM was born as a registered association according to Spanish legislation. Our thanks to its first president, the Italian Piergiorgio Sciacqua, for the impulse given.

I want to emphasize that in these ten years:

1. The IPCM has held 50 meetings of its governing bodies, in six European countries: Spain (Madrid, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Guadalajara), Italy (Milano, Naples), Portugal (Lisbon, Amarante, Évora, Guimaraes, Sintra) , Belgium (Brussels), Malta (Valletta) and, today, in France (Paris).
   
   
2. The organizations of the IPCM have held a hundred seminars. Experts from various countries, NGOs, trade unions, political parties, religious organizations and academic institutions have participated in them. They have been possible thanks to the financing of EZA and the European Commission, and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
   
   
3. The IPCM has positioned itself publicly before the main international issues, through declarations that are on our website, in several languages.
   
   
4. The IPCM has been a forum for exchange, dialogue, analysis and deliberation, sharing the core values that inspire us.
   
   
5. The members of IPCM have known closely the reality of complex situations. Recall the visit to the city of Melilla (on the Spanish border of the European Union with Morocco) and visits to refugee centers or immigrants in several European cities.

For the future, we propose:

The International Platform for Cooperation and Migration (IPCM) is highly interested in multi-lateral policy on migration and thus:

1. Warmly welcomes the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, adopted last December 11, 2018, during the intergovernmental conference that took place in Marrakech, Morocco.
   
   
2. Values positively the 23 established objectives and the associated political actions within the framework of cooperation, for a safe, orderly and regular migration throughout the migratory cycle.
   
   
3. Considers it as a great step forward, since the majority of UN member states, including the Holy See, signed this Pact, which deals with one of the most relevant and sensitive issues of our current human reality.
   
   
4. Feels disappointed due to the fact that the EU has not reached a common agreement in this conference because of disparity among national governments criteria.
   
   
5. Reminds that IPCM has always advocated for the need of a European migration and refuge policy, which brings coherence and security to everybody, as evidenced by several statements by IPCM.
   
   
6. Underlines that migration issue is directly linked to development of nations and people, and thus, it is also linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the international sphere.
   
   
7. Greatly appreciates that the Global Compact deals with labour issues and opportunities for a decent job. It also appreciates the call to all parties to avoid racism and xenophobia due to ethnic, religious or other reasons.
   
   
8. Values this Global Compact within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 70th anniversary framework, an essential text that is still absolutely valid, when so many people still see their human rights are being violated or threatened.
   
   
9. Holds its commitment to keep acting, along with its member organizations, in its meetings and seminars, and in its immigrant centers, in order to analyze issues as a whole and, as a consequence, to offer valid solutions, which come from our values, based on Christian humanism, europeism, democracy, liberty and human rights.