Migrants try to get products from a truck | REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
MANILA, Philippines – Representatives from different countries converge in Manila for a two-day conference to tackle the future of migration.
The conference centers on the upcoming adoption of a global compact to promote safe and orderly migration and reduce human smuggling and trafficking.
According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola, this is the first international and multilateral agreement on migration governance that the Philippines has strongly pushed for.
Arriola said the agreement culminates the lengthy negotiations on the contentious issue in new york, noting its aim to have a national policy and general framework in labor-receiving countries to prevent discrimination and other migration-related problems of Filipinos.
The official said the finalization of this deal was long overdue. It is envisioned to address the negative impacts of irregular migration while respecting migrant rights and promoting security and prosperity of countries of origin and destination.
The outcome of the conference will be submitted as input to the United Nations migration network for a conference in Geneva, Switzerland in October.
“It’s a non-binding instrument…Siya ang minimum standard para kung paano dapat i-trato ang mga migrante sa buong mundo,” Usec. Sarah Lou Arriola of DFA Migrant Workers Affairs said.
More than 190 countries will sign the global compact on migration agreement which is set to be formally adopted in Morocco in December.
According to Arriola, the Philippines is one of the pillars of the agreement which will hugely benefit over 10 million migrant Filipinos around the globe.
She noted that the GCM is a good start to promote the protection of migrants as the pact states the responsibilities and suggestions of various countries on the proper migrant treatment. – Cathy Maglalang / UNTV News and Rescue
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