The first global framework to help manage migration for the nearly 260 million people living outside their countries of origin is moving closer to completion.

The “zero draft” of the new Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was released early this week, along with a schedule by the compact’s co-facilitators — the United Nations missions of Mexico and Switzerland.

“Globally, migration remains poorly managed. The impact can be seen in the humanitarian crises affecting people on the move; and in the human rights violations suffered by those living in slavery or enduring degrading working conditions. It can be seen, too, in the political impact of public perception that wrongly sees migration as out of control,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterre said at the launch of the U.N.’s own report on global migration.

Many of the compact’s objectives — like the SDGs’ 17 goals — create lofty targets, such as the ideas of managing “borders in an integrated, secure and coordinated manner” and creating “conditions for migrants and diasporas to fully contribute to sustainable development in all countries.”

The creation of a global migration compact stems from the 2016 New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants agreement, which call on member states to start negotiation for two parallel compacts covering the different populations. Unlike refugees, migrants are not covered by international law.

One of the action points in the draft compact sets out to “strengthen measures to facilitate citizenship to children born in another state’s territory,” in the event the child would otherwise be considered stateless. There is a call to protect unaccompanied and separated children throughout their migration process with new procedures for identification, legal assistance and work to facilitate family reunification. Another action measure calls for the end of child detention.

Read the full article about global compact on migration by Amy Lieberman at Devex.