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GLOBAL CONFERENCE IN BOLIVIA CALLS FOR RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS
03 November 2006
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3 November 2006
National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and non-governmental organizations from around the world have called for a human rights approach to migration and respect for the human rights of all migrants regardless of their migration status.
The call came during the Eighth International Conference of NHRIs, held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, from 23 to 26 October to raise global awareness about the human rights violations suffered by millions of migrants and their families. Bolivian President Evo Morales, himself once a migrant, opened the conference.
Delegates at the Santa Cruz gathering focused in particular on the fact that migrants, especially irregular immigrants, in many countries are not considered as having any rights of protection in accordance with international human rights standards. Women, children and indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable in this regard.
Participants also recalled that very few countries have ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and that so far, no country among the developed nations has ratified the Convention.
The Conference underlined that improvements in the situation of migrants will require active involvement and commitments by both countries of origin and receiving countries.
In a Declaration adopted to guide future action in the area of migrants’ rights, participants agreed that NHRIs have a central role in advocating the promotion and protection of human rights in their respective countries. They committed themselves to prioritizing the work on the rights of migrants and a set of principles to guide this work.
The Santa Cruz gathering was co-organized by the Defensor del Pueblo of Bolivia, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions.
National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and non-governmental organizations from around the world have called for a human rights approach to migration and respect for the human rights of all migrants regardless of their migration status.
The call came during the Eighth International Conference of NHRIs, held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, from 23 to 26 October to raise global awareness about the human rights violations suffered by millions of migrants and their families. Bolivian President Evo Morales, himself once a migrant, opened the conference.
Delegates at the Santa Cruz gathering focused in particular on the fact that migrants, especially irregular immigrants, in many countries are not considered as having any rights of protection in accordance with international human rights standards. Women, children and indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable in this regard.
Participants also recalled that very few countries have ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and that so far, no country among the developed nations has ratified the Convention.
The Conference underlined that improvements in the situation of migrants will require active involvement and commitments by both countries of origin and receiving countries.
In a Declaration adopted to guide future action in the area of migrants’ rights, participants agreed that NHRIs have a central role in advocating the promotion and protection of human rights in their respective countries. They committed themselves to prioritizing the work on the rights of migrants and a set of principles to guide this work.
The Santa Cruz gathering was co-organized by the Defensor del Pueblo of Bolivia, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions.