SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS TO VISIT PERU

17 September 2004


The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Gabriela Rodríguez Pizarro, will visit Peru from 20 to 30 September 2004, at the invitation of the Government.

During the visit the Special Rapporteur will focus on the causes and consequences of emigration in Peru and the consular protection and assistance offered by the Government to their nationals abroad. Her agenda include issues such as irregular migration, border control, bilateral agreements and consultative processes on migration, unaccompanied children and the situation of foreigners in Peruvian prisons and detention centres.

Ms. Rodriguez will begin her official mission in Lima and then visit Tacna and Tumbes. She is scheduled to meet senior Government officials, local authorities and representatives of the security forces. She also intends to hold meetings with representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, academics, consular authorities, religious associations, other private organizations and individual migrants.

The Special Rapporteur will present a report on her mission to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-first session next spring. The Commission created the mandate on the human rights of migrants in 1999, requesting the Special Rapporteur to “examine ways and means to overcome the obstacles existing to the full and effective protection of the human rights of migrants, including obstacles and difficulties for the return of migrants who are undocumented or in an irregular situation”. In the five years since taking office, the Special Rapporteur has carried out official visits to Canada, Ecuador, the Philippines, Mexico, the border between Mexico and the United States, Spain, Morocco, Iran and Italy.