THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Migrants need better safeguards, says special UN Bangkok meeting

Migrants need better safeguards, says special UN Bangkok meeting

A regional meeting discussing migration opened in Bangkok on Monday with a call for governments in the region to take action through economic, social and environmental policies to safeguard the rights and interests of all migrants – high- and low-skilled workers alike.


The Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration brought together policymakers, civil society, academia and experts from 44 countries.
They are to provide regional input into the “Global Compact”, the first intergovernmental document developed under the auspices of the United Nations to cover all dimensions of international migration.
At the opening session, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Dr Shamshad Akhtar said that Asia and the Pacific had long welcomed migrants, whether for economic benefits or to accommodate those displaced.
While migrants make invaluable contributions to both their countries of origin and destination, they are also exposed to a range of vulnerabilities, said Dr Akhtar.
“As non-citizens of their countries of residence, and non-residents of their countries of citizenship, migrants are often bypassed in both home and host countries. As a result, their rights are often not respected and their contributions may go unrecognised.
“Migrants are often poorly paid, concentrated in labour work, employed in low-skill jobs and in the informal sector requiring difficult and sometimes dangerous physical labour," said Dr Akhtar.
The three-day forum was organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in partnership with IOM, as well as ILO, UNFPA, UNHCR and UN Women, to provide regional input into the Global Compact.

 

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