PHILIPPINES TO HOST SECOND GLOBAL FORUM ON MIGRATION

06 December 2007—Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos briefed UN Missions in New York on Philippine preparations for the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development, a informal consultative process where member-states of the United Nations discuss ways to enhance the contribution of migration to development.

The Philippine Mission to the United Nations disclosed that the Global Forum which will be held in Manila in October 2008, will focus on migrants, protection, and empowerment for development.

According to Philippine Permanent Representative Hilario Davide Jr., the Friends of the Forum, which is composed of countries and organizations assisting the Philippine hosting, will hold its first meeting in Geneva on 17 December.

In his briefing, Undersecretary Conejos said the Manila Forum can be expected to build on the outcome of the First Forum, which was held in Brussels on 9 - 11 July, and will focus on the human rights situation of migrants on the ground, both from the perspective of the country of origin and the country of destination.

“The new issues to be taken up would be in line with the expectation that the perspective on the migration and development dialogue in the Philippines, as primarily a country of origin, would be different, or rather, complimentary, to that of the first Forum in Belgium,” he said.

Undersecretary Conejos cited as examples the Philippine Worker Centers that the Philippines established to act as shelters for abused Philippine migrants in every major area where they were located as well as the contracts between the Philippines and host governments that protected the rights and benefits of Philippine migrant workers.
“These are the kind of practices that would be discussed at the Second Forum,” he said. This is in recognition of the fact that the first line of protection of migrants belonged to the country of origin, while the obligation to provide services is the responsibility of the destination country.” END.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: INBOX is an archive of press releases, statements, announcements, letters to the editors, and manifestos sent to PinoyPress for publication. Please email your materials to pinoypress @ gmail.com. PinoyPress is not responsible for the content of these materials. The opinion expessed in these items does not reflect those of PinoyPress and its staff. Please refer to our terms of use/disclaimer.