COMMITTEE ON PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS MEETS WITH STATES PARTIES

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers this morning held a meeting with States parties to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families in order to discuss the status of reporting, the working methods of the Committee in examining initial reports, and ways and means to promote the Convention.

In an introductory statement, Prasad Kariyawasam, the Chairperson of the Committee, said the substantive items on the agenda for the meeting today were the status of reporting under the Convention, the Committee's working methods in examining the initial reports submitted by States parties, and the promotion of the Convention. The Convention now had 36 States parties, with the most recent to join being Argentina and Mauritania. The initial reports of Mali and Mexico had been considered at past sessions. Yesterday, the Committee had completed its consideration of the report of Egypt, and was now working on the concluding observations on that report, which would be released this Friday. Initial reports had also been received from Ecuador, Syria, Bolivia and El Salvador. However, 29 reports were overdue, most of them since July 2004. Indeed, the reports of Mauritania and Argentina were the only ones that were not overdue.

It was essential for the Committee to conduct its functions efficiently so that they could make a difference on the ground for migrant workers and members of their families, which was the reason that States had signed the Convention. The Chairperson was very concerned that the submission of State party reports was taking too much time. Considering the reports and making observations on them would also have a snowball effect in getting other States to join the Convention. When States saw what effect the Convention was having on the ground, it would encourage them to join.

There was a need to promote the Convention, the Chairperson underscored. Thirty-six States parties was far too low, and most of those were labour-sending States, rather than receiving States. Particularly important was to attract destination countries members, especially in Europe. It was necessary to have some countries that were prominent human rights champions as States parties. A number of countries were still reluctant to join the Convention due to misconceptions about it, particularly among European countries. The Committee had been working to change that. There had been an important side event held during the most recent Human Rights Council session, which had been designed to dispel those misconceptions, and that meeting had been quite successful. Existing States parties also had an important role to play here. It was in States' best interests to do so, as the greater number of States that joined meant greater protections for migrant workers around the world.

In conclusion, the Chairperson said it was important to promote the Convention's core message of rights-based migration. He was confident that this very forward-looking Convention – this Convention which took account of the effects of globalization on the world labour – would one day be universalized.

In the dialogue that followed, the representative of Sri Lanka said that the initial report of Sri Lanka was now being finalized and it was hoped that it would be submitted this year, along with Sri Lanka's core report. A comprehensive report had already been prepared by the Ministry of Labour on female migrant workers, in conjunction with non-governmental organizations.

The representative of Ecuador said that migration was a very important issue in Ecuador, and all social players were involved – both governmental and non-governmental – including civil society. Notably, the national human rights policy included the issue of migration. Ecuador wished to note its reservations about the upcoming Forum on Migration to be held in Brussels, which did not have a human rights component. Finally, Ecuador wished to hear the views of the Committee on the proposal for a single, unified standing treaty body.

The representative of the Philippines said that its initial report was under preparation and it was hoped it would be submitted this year. The Philippines was working within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to advance the cause of migrant workers. Moreover, the Philippines would be participating in the upcoming Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels, and was scheduled to host the following meeting of the Forum. The Philippines agreed that the Forum should incorporate a human rights dimension. Also of interest would be to explore how the Human Rights Council could better promote migrant workers rights.

The representative of Kyrgyzstan said that Kyrgyzstan was in the process of preparing its initial report. The past two years had not been easy for Kyrgyzstan, which was undergoing a process of change. Kyrgyzstan had an agency to address migration issues, as well as a State Committee on Migration and Labour. As one tenth of the population of Kyrgyzstan was working abroad, migration was an issue of great importance for the country.

The representative of Argentina recalled that Argentina had just ratified the Convention last February. Argentina had a visionary approach to migrant workers rights. What would be of greatest interest would be to hear from States who had belonged to the Convention the longest, to hear what their experiences had been.

The representative of Mexico suggested that the Committee become involved in the preparatory work for the Forum on Migration and Development to be held in Brussels, to ensure that a human rights perspective was incorporated. Mexico also appealed to the High Commissioner to play a role in the Global Migration Group, which was an association of different agencies, both United Nations and non-United Nations bodies, and to ensure that human rights were taken into consideration in its work.

The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that the delay in submitting the report of Bosnia and Herzegovina had been owing to administrative difficulties. It was now hoped that the initial report would be submitted in June 2007.

In following comments by experts, an Expert observed that, as labour sending countries, the States parties had an important role to play in promoting the Convention, in particular with labour-receiving States. He would like to hear from the States parties themselves on this issue. An Expert pointed out that States parties had a responsibility to ensure that the subject of human rights was included as a dimension of the Forum on Migration and Development, to be held in Brussels.

In concluding observations, the Chairperson said that, in the absence of any comments from States parties to the contrary, the Committee would consider that its working methods were acceptable. The commitment of many States parties to submit their reports as soon as possible, and to involve their national human rights institutions suitably in that process, had also been noted. Finally, the involvement of States parties in promoting the Convention had been highlighted, and it was hoped that representatives would address those concerns with their Governments.

When the Committee reconvenes this afternoon, at 3 p.m., it will continue to discuss the issues of reporting and promotion of the Convention, and will also address treaty body reform.