Civil society calls for bigger role, right-based approach in UN migration debate

The increased mobility of people seeking decent work and human security is leading to a consensus at the UN that international migration should maintain a strong right-based approach for the well-being of migrants, as well as coordinated action to ensure growth and development of both home and host societies.

Over the last decade alone, the number of international migrants rose from 150 million to 214 million. The increase of informal and precarious work among migrant has also led to greater vulnerability and has increased the urgency for effective social protection measures. These are serious challenges for governments and migrants alike, and are the subject of a second UN General Assembly High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development to take place in October 2013.

UN Photo

On 15 July in New York, members of civil society and representatives from the private sector gathered to present their perspectives on migration government and to provide inputs to UN member states ahead of the High-level Dialogue.

H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremić, President of the 67th Session of the UN’s General Assembly, opened the discussions by urging participants to help shape the debate among member states on how to harness the benefits of migration for both rich and poor nations, while reducing its negative impacts.

“The subject of migration has stirred passionate debates, because for all the good it can bring, it also generates social tensions,” Jeremić said. He stressed the importance of ensuring “that migration does not turn into a zero-sum game, where the progress of any nation is held back by that of another.”

At the day-long event held in the General Assembly Hall, civil society organizations, labour unions, business and other groups called upon member states to ratify existing ILO conventions for the protection of migrant workers and regulation of private employment agencies that recruit them to work abroad.

“States must take the necessary steps to ratify, implement and enforce longstanding ILO conventions and other international instruments that provide meaningful legal rights and protections for migrant workers and their families,” said Ana Avendaño, Director of Immigaration and Community Action, AFL-CIO.

“Civil society will not settle for instruments that default to so-called ethical codes or rely on voluntary compliance,” she added. “Ethical codes or best business practices that are developed by stakeholders who stand to profit from the business of moving human beings offer little confidence.”

Also emphasized by many participants was the need for increased cooperation between governments, civil society and the private sector to ensure effective implementation of those international standards adopted.

“It is important for business to know what the rules are, so they can take appropriate, calculated risks, which are a vital part of any organizational planning strategy,” said Randel K. Johnson, Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Companies are seeking to partner and interact with government to better understand what their corporate social responsibilities are,” he added. “Certainly, within our organization, under no circumstance would businesses consider shirking their responsibilities related to the protection of migrants or otherwise.”

There was also a clear consensus on the need for a rights-based approach to migration governance at the global level and strong support for the ILO’s work on international labour migration.

“At the international level, governments should be encouraged to increase their cooperation with the International Labour Organization, the only international organization with a mandate to protect migrant workers,” stated Claire Courteille, Equality Director at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). “The High-level Dialogue should promote the UN legal framework, and should reaffirm the leadership of the ILO on labour migration.”

The ILO has several legally binding instruments related to migrant workers, including the Migration for Employment Convention (No. 97), the Migrant Workers Convention (No. 143), the Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189), the Private Employment Agencies Convention (No. 189), as well as a series of non-binding guidelines and principles that comprise the ILO’s Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration.