They are fleeing a deadly combination of their own governments indiscriminate barrel bomb attacks on crowded markets. schools. and clinics. suffocating sieges. and atrocities committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. ISIS and other extremist groups. We know that only a minority of migrants arriving in Europe are motivated solely by economic betterment. As the world focuses on the wave of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe. we must not lose our focus on the roots of this crisis. We must pay attention to why these desperate men. women. and children are on the move. The misery of many of these refugees is the direct result of the conflicts and human rights abuses of governments that are ineffective or illegitimate. or both. and mostly likely corrupt. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals is remarkable for the historic inclusion of goal 16. It acknowledges the centrality of good governance and accountable and transparent institutions as prerequisites for sustainable development. If nations across the globe truly embrace goal 16. I am convinced we will also witness far fewer men. women. and children being forced to endure extraordinary misery. violence. displacement. and exploitation as refugees. Surely. that must be our collective goal.
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refugees migrants