Commission on Human Rights

MIGRANT.NEWS

MIGRANT.NEWS, Issue 78, 28 February 2004

Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, will hold its first session at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 1-5 March 2004 (Palais Wilson, first floor Conference Room).

The Committee will meet with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Thursday 4 March 2004 (from 10:00 to 12:00). A brief report of the meeting will be made available on our treaty body page on the UN MW Convention at:

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=222&menuID=36&lang=EN

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=246&menuID=36&lang=ES

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=262&menuID=36&lang=IT

NGOs wishing to attend this meeting should contact the Secretary a.i. for the Migrant Workers Committee, Ms. Mercedes Morales at mmorales@ohchr.org or her colleague Mr. Hugo Cedrangulo (fax 0041 22 917 91 39 - phone 0041 22 917 90 22). This is particularly necessary for NGOs not in consultative status as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will arrange for their security clearance so that they can participate in the meeting.

Recent Publications about the UN MWC

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=79&menuID=36&lang=EN

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=192&menuID=36&lang=ES

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=214&menuID=36&lang=IT

How to Strengthen Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families with International Human Rights Treaties (soon also available in French)
30/01/2004 - A do-it-yourself kit. This document seeks to equip individuals, non-governmental organisations, other interested stakeholders, including members of national administrations and diplomats involved in r(...) International Catholic Migration Commission (Switzerland)

UNESCO Research Asia Pacific: Identification of the Obstacles to the Signing and Ratification of the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families

12/10/2003 – Identification of the Obstacles of the Signing and Ratification of the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers. The Asia-Pacific Perspective. – UNESCO (France)

Parliamentary question regarding the EC position vis-à-vis the UN MWC and European campaign

In the framework of the Belgian campaign for the ratification of the UN MWC and following action undertaken by Wereldsolidariteit, Ms. Miet Smet, Member of the European Parliament, asked on January 8, 2004, the European Commission the following parliamentary question :

The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, approved by the UN General Assembly at its 45^th session on 18 December 1990, and entered into force on July 1, 2004, is today not ratified by any of the 15 member states, nor by one of the 10 future member states of the EU.

What is the position of the European Commission vis-à-vis this convention?

In how far does the Convention reflect the EU policies and its stated objectives?

On which issues does the Convention differ from the EU policies and its stated objectives?

Are there from the European perspective serious objections against ratification of the Convention by a member state?

The answer will be made available through MIGRANT.NEWS as soon as obtained. It will serve as a basis for a wider European campaign for ratification of the UN MWC and for further promotion of the Convention in view of the upcoming European elections in June 2004.

NGOs based in EU member states are hereby invited to join the call for a better protection of the human rights of migrants, to inform their candidates for the European Parliament about the UN MWC and the need for European support for ratifications by EU member states and to push their national politicians to take action.

Information about your campaign for the ratification of the UN MWC should be sent to info@december18.net or migrantwatch@vtx.ch.

Launch of French campaign for the recognition of the role of migrants as development actors and to assure respect for their fundamental human rights

Beginning of March, AGIR ICI in cooperation with GISTI, CIMADE and the Ligue des droits de l’homme will launch a campaign aiming at the recognition of the role of migrants in the process of development and to assure respect for their fundamental rights. This campaign will invite citizens to request their Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Republic to start the process of ratification of the UN MWC and to stop conditioning the cooperation with third countries on the implementation of migration clauses.

The campaign also calls on the European Commissioner in charge of Justice and External Affairs to encourage EU member states (including future member states) to ratify the UN MWC and to stop conditioning the cooperation with third countries on the implementation of migration clauses.

More information can be received from Caroline Maurel, AGIR ICI, Responsible for the Campaign , cmaurel@agirici.org, tel. 01 56 98 24 40.

UN Commission on Human Rights

The sixtieth session of the Commission on Human Rights will be held from 15 March to 23 April 2004 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The provisional agenda can be viewed on

http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/E.CN.4.2004.1.En?OpenDocument

To date, there are no reports on the rights of migrants available yet, except for the advanced version of the report on the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Spain from 15 to 27 September 2003 (only in Spanish), the Status of the UN MWC and the Study by the SR on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. These can be viewed on:

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=240&menuID=36&lang=EN

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=242&menuID=36&lang=ES

To review the reports and resolutions of the 59th session:

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=131&menuID=36&lang=EN

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=191&menuID=36&lang=ES

To know more about the Commission and about how its procedures and mechanisms are mandated to examine, monitor and publicly report either on human rights situations in specific countries or territories (known as country mechanisms or mandates) or on major phenomena of human rights violations worldwide, please click:

http://193.194.138.190/html/menu2/2/chr.htm

For more information about the work on the migrants’ rights resolutions to date and during the Commission, please contact migrantwatch@vtx.ch.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/cerd.htm

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) was the first body created by the United Nations to monitor and review actions by States to fulfil their obligations under a human rights treaty body. It monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The Committee holds its 64th session from 23 February until 12 March 2004 in Geneva. The examination of the following periodic reports is foreseen : Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jaramahiriy; Nepal; Spain; The Netherlands; Brazil; Sweden; Suriname; Bahamas. The CERD will also hold a discussion on the rights of non-citizens.

For more information, please contact migrantwatch@vtx.ch.

__________________________________________________________________________

Who is who on the Global Commission on International Migration

The Global Commission on International Migration launched in Geneva on 9 December 2003 in the presence of United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has assumed its activities on 1 January 2004.

The GCIM has a three-part mandate: to place international migration on the global agenda, to analyse shortcomings and gaps in approaches to migration and examine inter-linkages with other issue-areas, and to make practical recommendations to the United Nations Secretary-General and other stakeholders on how to strengthen national, regional and global governance of international migration. It will organise six Commission meetings, including five regional consultations and will produce a final report by mid-2005.

According to documents distributed at the Geneva launch for the GCIM, “The Commission will consult with experts and representatives of governments, including the open-ended government Core Group, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and migration expert and bodies. The Commission will determine the form and content of such consultations”. NGOs should make sure they are kept informed about the process, so that they can feed appropriate input into the Commission.

The first meeting of the Commission took place in Stockholm on 26 and 27 February 2004. Beginning of February, the GCIM secretariat organised a consultation with migration experts in Geneva.

The Executive Director of the Secretariat is Dr. Rolf K. Jenny. Mr. Jeff Crisp is the Chief of the Research Office of the Evaluation and Program Unit. The Secretariat can be reached on following address:

1, Rue Richard Wagner, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland.

Tel. 0041 22 748 48 50

Fax 0041 22 748 48 51

info@gcim.org

www.gcim.org

Background of the Commission members (with thanks to ICMC) :

Mr. Jan O. KARLSSON, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sweden

Dr. Mamphela RAMPHELE, Managing Director of World Bank Group specialising in Health and Population issues, South Africa

Prof. Dr. Francisco ALBA, Researcher (also independent expert of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families), Mexico

Dr. Aïcha BELARBI, Academic and former Ambassador, Morocco

Rev. Nicholas DIMARZIO, United States

Mr. Joris Demmink, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice, The Netherlands

Dr. Mary GARCIA CASTRO, Academic, Brazil

Mr. Manuel MARIN, former Vice-President of the EC, Spain

Mr. Mike Moore, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization, New Zealand

Mrs. Mary Robinson, former President and former High Commissioner on Human Rights, Ireland

Dr. Nafis Sadik, former Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Pakistan

Amb. Reda Ahmed Shehata, Diplomat, Egypt

Mr. Nand Kishore SINGH, former Secretary and OSD to the Prime Minister, India

Prof. Dr. Rita SÜSSMUTH, former Minister Youth, Family and Health, Germany

Mrs. Patricia Sto TOMAS ARAGON, Secretary of Labor and Employment, former Administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Philippines

Prof. Dr. Valery TISHKOV, Doctor of History and Director of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russia

A Canadian Commissioner will be announced in the next few days. The participation of Dr. Xu Kuangdi (China) needs to be confirmed.

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=257&menuID=36&lang=EN

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=258&menuID=36&lang=ES

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=259&menuID=36&lang=IT

Change for the better!

On the eve of the International Migrant’s Day 2003, the Argentinean Congress approved a new Migration Law, replacing Videla’ s law from under the dictatorship. This is a very important and positive change, for which the social organizations and migrant communities have been fighting for during many years. This change comes together with the integration of Mercosur and the freedom of movement of people within the region. It is an important signal for those countries, particularly in Europe and North America, that are restricting more and more their immigration policies and laws and are incriminating the migrant.

By Pablo Ceriani Cernadas, Abogado, Programa Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), Argentina

For the latest Spanish articles, view:

http://www.december18.net/web/papers/start.php?menuID=41&lang=ES

What is new online! (Press releases, articles, papers, reports, new publications, statements, comments, etc…)

http://www.december18.net/web/papers/start.php?menuID=41&lang=EN

To view the latest additions in Spanish and Italian:

http://www.december18.net/web/papers/start.php?menuID=41&lang=ES

http://www.december18.net/web/papers/start.php?menuID=41&lang=IT

Comment on EC Communication on Immigration, Integration, and Employment (30kB)
27/02/2004 - PICUM, being a platform of organizations that provide assistance to undocumented migrants in Europe, calls for extra attention to the chapter on undocumented migrants. Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (Belgium)

2003 Accomplishment Report of the Steering Committee (42kB)
27/02/2004 - This report gives an overview of the work done by the Steering Committee for the Global Campaign for the ratification of the UN Convention in 2003. Steering Committee for the Global Campaign for ratification of the UN MWC (Switzerland)

Migration and Health: a review of the International literature (PDF)
27/02/2004 - This report is a comprehensive review of primary literature on internal and international migration and health. It is the result of searches using five on-line databases, a list of health and migratio(...)

Migration to current EU from new Member States likely to be about 1 percent, EU report says
26/02/2004 - A study by the European Commission and the EU Foundation for the Improvement in Living and Working Conditions, based on a Eurobarometer poll shows that, even under conditions of full freedom of moveme(...) European Commission (Belgium)

Psychosocial Support to Groups of Victims of Human Trafficking in Transit Situations
24/02/2004 - The psychosocial assistance provided to victims of trafficking in a Transit Center has to deal with the trauma provoked by past experiences and the expectations for life in the future and its accompan(...) International Organization for Migration (Switzerland)

Annan to name Canadian Justice Louise Arbour as top UN human rights official
20/02/2004 - Louise Arbour, a Canadian Supreme Court Justice and ex-prosecutor of United Nations war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, will be named the new UN High Commissioner for Human Righ(...) United Nations (Worldwide).

Five new reports on racism
27/01/2004 - The Council of Europe's expert body on combating racism, ECR, today released five new reports examining racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance in Belgium, Bulgaria, Norway, Slovakia and Swit(...) European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (France)

Is Trafficking in Human Beings Demand Driven? A Multi-Country Pilot Study (PDF)
24/01/2004 - This report is one of the rare studies assessing the demand side of trafficking in women and children. The pilot study offers interesting findings of the buyers of sex services and the employers of wo(...) International Organization for Migration (Switzerland)

Global Employment Trends 2004 (PDF)
22/01/2004 - The report traces the various factors contributing to the global employment decline – such as the increase in employment in the informal economy, the decrease in employment in information and communi(...) International Labour Organization (Switzerland)

Trends in International Migration (2003 edition)
21/01/2004 - Record numbers of people are moving to many OECD countries in search of jobs and to join their families. The latest edition of OECD’s annual Trends in International Migration notes that the economic d(...) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (France)

Migrant Rights at the World Social Forum: “We Are One!” -- Strengthening the Global Movement (32kB)
20/01/2004 - National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (U.S.A.)

International Migrants’ Rights Calendar

http://www.december18.net/web/calendar/start.php?menuID=49&lang=EN

http://www.december18.net/web/calendar/start.php?menuID=49&lang=ES

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Spanish, Italian and French version available upon request at :

info@december18.net

Created by December 18

http://www.december18.net/web/general/page.php?pageID=19&menuID=29&lang=EN&seclang=0

Spanish version translated by Maria Ruiz, Spain

French version translated by Catherine Thomas, France

Italian version translated by Eny Giambastiani, Italy.