The United Nations Special Representative for International Migration, Louise Arbour, commended Morocco's leadership on migration issues, under the impetus of HM King Mohammed VI, "who has been appointed leader of the African Union on migration issues."

 This came in a meeting, on Monday in New York, with Moroccan minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita.

Arbour said that the talks with the Moroccan official were an opportunity to discuss preparations for the international conference for the formal adoption of the Global Compact on migration, to be held next December in Marrakech.

The conference, she went on, will be "the most important inter-governmental conference for the United Nations this year, as it will be held at the highest level and will therefore bring together heads of state and government as well as foreign ministers."

The talks also tackled the content of the Global Compact on migration, which is a testimony to the "strength" of multilateralism, she said, stressing that the Marrakech conference will see the launch of innovation partnerships and the implementation of the Global Compact itself.