UN RIGHTS EXPERTS SALUTES ADOPTION BY TIMOR LESTE’S PARLIAMENT OF MIGRANT WORKER’S CONVENTION

11 December 2002



The following message was issued today by the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the question of the human rights of migrants, Gabriela Rodriguez Pizarro:

On 10 December, Human Rights Day, the National Parliament of Timor Leste adopted the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Timor Leste’s ratification will be the twentieth, finally bringing the Convention into force. This is a great success for all those who have voiced the suffering of migrants and who have campaigned for the establishment of an international legal framework for the protection of the human rights of migrants.

The Convention offers a holistic approach to the human rights of migrants and summarizes in a single instrument a brad gamut of rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The Convention also takes into account all the aspects of the migration process so as to protect effectively the victims of abuses in countries of origins, transit and destination, be they regular or irregular, documented or undocumented. The Convention also plays an important role in preventing and eradicating exploitation, trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

The Convention, besides establishing some obligations for States party vis a vis migrants as individuals, also provides that States will cooperate in the formulation of migration policies and in combating irregular migration; will provide information to employers, workers and their organizations about policies, laws and regulations relating to migration; and will provide assistance to migrant workers and their families. This is of crucial importance as I believe that the protection of the human rights of migrants is closely linked to migration management and must be addressed in such context. Migration is a dynamic phenomenon involving a great number of actors. States of origin, transit and destinations have a shared responsibility to ensure a comprehensive and dignified response to the problems faced by migrants and social, cultural, economic and other challenges related to migration.

As human rights are at the heart of migration, human rights must also be at the heart of any migration management debate. As there is a growing recognition of the fact that contemporary migration is a process to be managed in a comprehensive manner, I would like to stress that such process must also be based on the wealth of existing international human rights norms, principles and standards, including the Convention.

Today we celebrate an important achievement in the struggle for the human rights of migrants. The entry into force of the Convention is a strong signal that the human dimension of migration can no longer be overlooked. I trust that today will mark a renewed commitment of Governments, NGOs, international organizations and the civil society at large to make the human rights of migrants a reality.




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