15 July 2013, New York: “Decent works with living wages for workers in countries of origin and destination must be created. Systemic conditions that contribute to forced migration must be transformed… Migration is not a substitute for genuine development. States must not be seduced by dubious notions that circular migration and remittances contribute to genuine development. A genuine development framework should ensure that migrants, workers, families and communities can live in peace and dignity.“

Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Pranom Somwong from Thailand and I am representing Asia Pacific Forum on Women, law and Development (APWLD).

Migrants; women, men, LGBT, have a wide range of experiences, all of which are individual and unique. Policies addressing migration need to recognize this diversity of experience and provide options to migrants and their families, including the option to obtain citizenship of the country of destination.

We know however that many countries refuse to legislate on permanent migration and persist in implementing temporary migration policies. These policies must never be used to deny migrants social, economic, cultural and civil rights. These rights cannot be temporarily suspended. Where temporary migration policies are still in use, States must strive to coordinate joint portable social security systems which respond to the mobility of the populations that these policies create.  States must guarantee that each temporary migrant can always access essential services. All work should be protected by labour laws, including domestic workers.

States must also ensure that recruitment agencies, brokers and employers can be held accountable; confiscating documents must be made illegal with strong sanctions for violators; migrants must have the freedom to change employers, migrant workers must be afforded freedom from retaliation by employers & brokers and migrant workers must have access to effective and timely justice remedies.

Civil society groups are developing interactive maps that show the patterns of labour brokers. This represents an important tracking and monitoring tool.  Cooperation by governments and transparency by the private sector is required in order to map the location of the brokers and labour recruiters, the employment sector, wage, and working conditions.

Trade and investment agreements interested in facilitating the mobility of capital, must not be used to create migration for temporary work that undermines International labour standards. Decent works with living wages for workers in countries of origin and destination must be created. Systemic conditions that contribute to forced migration must be transformed.

Migration is not a substitute for genuine development. States must not be seduced by dubious notions that circular migration and remittances contribute to genuine development. A genuine development framework should ensure that migrants, workers, families and communities can live in peace and dignity.

 

DOWNLOAD the full statement: APWLD Interventions at CSO Interactive Hearing on HLD July 15