Message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day of Family Remittances

联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯家庭汇款国际日致辞

16 June 2021

2021年6月16日

As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged last year, so, too, did concerns about the potential negative impact of the crisis on remittances and on families that rely on them.

随着去年发生2019冠状病毒病疫情，人们也开始担忧这场危机可能对侨汇及依赖侨汇的家庭产生负面影响。

Fortunately, remittances have proved to be much more resilient and dependable than expected. The most recent data from the World Bank found that remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $540 billion in 2020, just 1.6 percent below the 2019 total.

所幸的是侨汇的韧性和可靠性实际上远超预期程度。世界银行最新数据显示2020年汇往中低收入国家的侨汇达5400亿美元，仅比2019年的总额减少了1.6%。

There are many reasons why remittances declined less than expected in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main one is that migrants put the needs of their families first, curtailing personal consumption and drawing on savings. Fiscal measures in host countries also made it possible for migrant workers to send money home.

疫情暴发后侨汇降幅小于预期的原因有很多，主要是移民把家庭需求放在首位，减少了个人消费、动用了存款。所在国采取财政措施也使移民工人得以寄钱回家。

Looking forward, we must continue efforts to support and protect migrants, who – as the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear – play such an important role in keeping essential services and the economy at large running in many parts of the world. Ensuring that all migrants, regardless of legal immigration status, are included in COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans is critical for the health and safety of all.

展望未来，我们必须继续努力支持和保护移民。如2019冠状病毒病疫情所表明的那样，移民在维持世界许多地区基本服务和整体经济的运行方面发挥着十分重要的作用。必须将所有移民（无论是否为合法移民）纳入2019冠状病毒病疫苗分发计划，这对于所有人的健康与安全都至关重要。

I also urge all stakeholders to continue efforts to reduce the costs of transferring remittances – a lifeline in the developing world – to as close to zero as possible in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to foster the financial inclusion of migrants and their families, especially in poor rural areas. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration offers a unified framework for such actions.

有鉴于侨汇是发展中国家的一条生命线，我还促请所有利益攸关方继续努力按照《2030年可持续发展议程》的设想将侨汇的汇款费用降到尽可能接近零，同时促进金融服务包容移民及其家人，尤其是在贫穷的农村地区做到这一点。《安全、有序和正常移民全球契约》为采取此类行动提供了统一框架。