Navi Pillay to address key international forum on migration and development in Mexico

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO (8 November 2010) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the current Chair of the 16-agency Global Migration Group*, will represent the Secretary-General at a key international meeting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from 8-11 November.

Pillay is attending the 4th Global Forum on Migration and Development during which states will focus on “Partnerships for migration and human development: shared prosperity – shared responsibility.” Among a range of issues to be discussed at the Forum – which involves two days of NGO discussions followed by two days of inter-state discussions – will be migration and development, human rights of all migrants, and irregular migration.

Both the Global Forum (an annual intergovernmental forum with the participation of some 150 countries) and the Global Migration Group (an inter-agency body) were established in 2006, as part of a global effort to deal more effectively with the complex and wide-ranging issues relating to migration. The GMG consists of 14 UN agencies, plus the International Organization for Migration and the World Bank, and its purpose is to promote greater coherence in the international response to migration as well as the wider application of all relevant legal instruments.

The High Commissioner will open a civil society event on 8 November to mark the 20th anniversary of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. On 9 November, she will deliver the UN Secretary-General’s key message to the Global Forum in a ceremony with the President of Mexico Felipe Calderón.

The High Commissioner will deliver a keynote speech as Chair of the GMG at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday 10 November, followed by a press conference alongside senior officials of other GMG agencies such as UNESCO Assistant Director-General Pilar Álvarez Laso and World Bank Vice President Otaviano Canuto at 10:00 a.m, at the press conference room in the International Convention Centre in Puerto Vallarta.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) assumed the rotating chair of the GMG in July with a special focus on promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants, particularly those in an irregular situation. On 30 September 2010, The GMG Principals, in a meeting chaired by High Commissioner Pillay adopted a landmark joint statement** calling for the protection of the human rights of migrants in an irregular situation.

For further information, please contact Sharon Grobeisen, Information Officer at sgrobeisen@un.org.mx or +52 155 540 599 69

* The 16 Members of the Global Migration Group: International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) (part of UN Women), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UN Regional Commissions (ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA), World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO).

** GMG joint statement available at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10396&LangID=E (in English)
http://www.cinu.mx/comunicados/2010/10/declaracion-del-grupo-mundial/ (in Spanish)