COMMITTEE ON PROTECTION OF MIGRANT WORKERS DISCUSSES ITS CONTRIBUTION TO UPCOMING GLOBAL FORUM ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

This afternoon the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families held a debate on the second Global Forum on Migration and Development, to be held in Manila on 29 and 30 October 2008, and to which the Committee had been invited to participate as observers.

Abdelhamid El Jamri, the Committee Chairperson, said that he and Committee Expert Prasad Kariyawasam had been invited to represent the Committee at the second Global Forum on Migration. Today, they needed to discuss how the Committee could participate not just as observers, but also what contributions they could make to the Global Forum.

Briefing outlining the set up for the Global Forum, Mr. El Jamri said it had been organized in three round tables. The first, on "Migration, development and human rights", had two axes: on protecting the rights of migrants, a shared responsibility; and on empowering migrants and diaspora to contribute to development. A second round table would deal with the theme, "Secure, legal migration can achieve stronger development impacts", and a third round table would treat the issue of "Policy and institutional coherence and partnerships".

Carla Edelenbos, the Committee Secretary, recalled that the Committee had been requested to submit a short written proposal on the relevance of the Convention, and the obstacles to the ratification of the Convention, as well as the importance of the Convention to the global migration debate, to the first round table of the Global Forum. The submission deadline was the end of next week. The Committee might also want to discuss the drafting of a background document for submission to participants.

In that regard, an Expert stressed the need to market the Convention. What was needed was a slogan they could bring to Global Forum that would bring home the Convention's importance. They could highlight the Committee's conclusion that migrant workers assisted in promoting cooperation and a better understanding between States and peoples, and should underscore the Convention's essential role in that process. Another important issue that needed to be discussed in the Committee's contribution was the emerging "relativization" of migrant workers rights. They needed to stress that there was no such thing as "relativized" human rights, which were one and indivisible. They also needed to use this forum to dispel misperceptions about the Convention.

Mr. El Jamri, the Committee Chairperson, concluded that they appeared to be largely in agreement about the issues that needed to be addressed by the Committee at the second Global Forum on Migration and Development. The Committee's participation would clearly be multifaceted. The Committee had been granted observer status at the Global Forum, but they would request seeking participatory status, and they would all work towards that. He also recalled that two members of the Committee would be participating in the Global Forum in their national capacities, and could also promote the Convention in that capacity. The main goal of the Committee should be advocacy for States to ratify the Convention.

When the Committee next convenes in public, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 April, it will discuss guidelines for the presentation of periodic reports and continue its discussion on the document it will submit to the Global Forum on Migration and Development.


For use of the information media; not an official record
CMW08008E