UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the formal adoption by the General Assembly of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration as a roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos.

Antonio Guterres in a statement said the compact is a non-legally binding agreement that reaffirms the foundational principles of our global community, including national sovereignty and universal human rights.

He said at a time when international cooperation is more important than ever, this new Global Compact provides a platform precisely for migrants worldwide.