UN Committee on Migrant Workers to review Lesotho

GENEVA (6 April 2016) – Lesotho’s record on protecting the rights of migrant workers is due to be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers (CMW) on 12 and 13 April in Geneva. Lesotho is one of the 48 States Parties to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and so is required to be reviewed regularly by the Committee. 

Among the possible issues for discussion between the CMW and a delegation from the Lesotho Government are:

• Regulation of private employment agencies recruiting migrant workers to work abroad;
• Measures to prevent and combat domestic servitude, forced labour and commercial sexual abuse of migrant workers;
• Investigations of allegations of harassment, corruption and abuse of authority by law enforcement officials towards migrant workers;
• Consular help for Basotho migrant workers abroad facing arbitrary detention and unlawful expulsion;
• High transfer costs, double taxation and corruption impeding use of regular channels for remittances;
• Children forced to move to border towns or neighbouring countries, including South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe as result of domestic violence or as consequence of HIV/AIDS, putting them at risk of forced labour and sexual exploitation.

The discussions will take place in Room XII at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 12 April from 15:00-18:00 (16:00-19:00 in Lesotho) and on 13 April from 10:00-13:00 (11:00-14:00). The Committee will also be briefed by representatives of NGOs, UN bodies and specialised agencies. More information about the review here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1044&Lang=en

The Committee, which is also reviewing Mauritania, Senegal and Turkey, will publish its findings here on 25 April: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1044&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell - +41 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org

Background

CMW members are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information on the Committee:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CMW/Pages/CMWIndex.aspx

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