Nalini Singh
APWLD's Programme Officer for Labour and Migration Programme

On July 12, 2006, APWLD participated at the UN General Assembly's Informal Interactive Hearings on International Migration and Development with over 200 representatives of non-governmental organisations, civil society and the private sector, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Hearings were an opportunity for the civil society groups to respond to the UN Secretary General's report on migration and development. While APWLD's Labour and Migration
While APWLD's Labour and Migration Task Force together with other organisations at the Informal Interactive Hearings of the General Assembly, welcomed and commended the draft report of the UN Secretary General on International Migration and Development and recognised the timely attention given to the issue of migration and development by the United Nations and member states, the Task Force, however, expressed critical concerns on the report in three main areas.

1. The Secretary General's report lacked substantive discussion on the gender perspectives of migration as now Asia alone has 50 million migrant workers of which women constitute over 50 percent. Over the past three decades, the number of women leaving their countries in search of employment has reached unprecedented magnitudes in Asia Pacific. As national economies are opened up for global competition, developing countries with minimal comparative advantages have taken the option of providing cheap and flexible labour to the world market. For most countries in Asia Pacific, labour migration is considered a solution to unemployment. Since the early 80's, the classic profile of a migrant worker has shifted from a male bread winner to a single or a married woman leaving the home alone or with her spouse to support her family and community.
2. The Secretary General's report focuses on economic benefits and ways of improving these economic conditions by codevelopment, managed migration, analysing various types of migration, looking at financial policies facilitating the transfer of remittances, etc. However, the migrant workers' experiences and plight are ignored when judging development in purely economic terms. Also ignored is the rights based analysis of the various policies impacting migrant workers such as labour and immigration, as seen in the case of migrant domestic workers in Asia moving for work in the region and globally. Women migrant workers face discrimination and violence in many forms in all steps of their way to working abroad and returning home. From agents charging exorbitant recruitment fees, employers confining workers in their employment places, confiscating travel documents and passports, physical abuse and violence to state led violence which migrant women workers face from immigration and security authorities when they return home.
3. The Secretary General's report failed to highlight the importance of the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. This Convention and other human rights instruments and treaties should play a pivotal role in guiding all the policies to migration. The Convention is an internationally agreed treaty calling on all countries involved in the migration process to comply and reinforce the fundamental human rights of all migrant workers and their family members, thus ending exploitation of migrant workers. The Secretary General's report failed to relate to the Convention as a building block for discussions on migration and development and to call on all member states to ratify this Convention.

At the Hearings, APWLD's Labour and Migration Task Force expressed its support for the Secretary General's proposal of a consultative forum to follow on the High Level Dialogue; and urged that all the processes leading up to and following the dialogue will be open, transparent and have more consultative approach with civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations working on migrants issues.

The hearings were organised by Mr. Jan Eliasson, President of the General Assembly, in consultation with Member States and representatives of nongovernmental organisations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, civil society organisations and the private sector, as part of the preparatory process for the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development that the General Assembly would hold from 14 to 15 September 2006 in New York. The President of the General Assembly established a task force composed of representatives of non-governmental organisations, civil society networks and the private sector to assist him in the preparation of the hearings. The hearings focused on three topics:

1. promoting a comprehensive rights-based approach to international migration, and ensuring respect for and protection of the human rights of all migrants and their families;
2. international migration and development: challenges for social and economic policies in sending and receiving countries; and
3. policy responses: promoting the building of partnerships and capacity-building and the sharing of best practices at all levels, including the bilateral and regional levels, for the benefit of countries and migrants alike. These topics were also reflected in the draft report of the Secretary General.

The hearings had over 200 representatives of non-governmental organisations in consultative status with the Council, civil society organisations and the private sector participating. United Nations Non- Governmental Liaison Service (UNNGLS) noted that almost half the membership of the General Assembly attended the hearings (93 members) out of which eleven government representatives made interventions during the hearings. UNNGLS sees this turnout at the hearing as a very positive response from all sectors.

Nalini Singh, the Programme Officer of the APWLD Labour and Migration programme joined twelve speakers and spokespersons from Asia and the Pacific who attended the hearings, such as representatives of Think Centre, Asian Migrants Centre, Center for Migrant Advocacy, Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea and Mekong Migration Network. Many colleagues from the region and globally were unable to attend the hearings as they were not able to secure a US visa. APWLD together with our members and partner organisations present at the hearings expressed grave concerns on this.

Presently, APWLD with partner organisations such as Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), Forum-Asia, the Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women, CARAM Asia and the Mekong Migration Network are preparing for our participation in the High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Development on September 14-15, 2006.