Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) appreciates
the opportunity to address this Committee on the topic of Human
Rights and will focus on the specific challenge of the protection
of the Human Rights of Migrants.

Essential to orderly and humane migration is ensuring the
protection of the human rights of migrants, which they enjoy as
human beings and as workers. Several countries of origin and
destination alike have recently demonstrated their concern with the
threat of "commodification" of migrant workers in the increasingly
global labour market.

Last year in addressing the 3rd Committee on this topic, we
reported on the relevance of the debate on migrants rights in the
discussion of the High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development
of the UN General Assembly. In that context, and following the
deliberations of a session devoted to the "measures to ensure
respect for and protection of the human rights of all migrants, and
to prevent and combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking in
persons", it was recognized that international migration,
development and human rights were intrinsically linked. While
respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all migrants was
considered essential to secure the full benefits of international
migration, the related issues of social exclusion, xenophobia,
discrimination and racism were also underlined. In this connection
a call was made to combat all forms of intolerance and to promote
the integration of migrants in receiving countries.

This important international debate, Mr. Chairman, has continued
in 2007 through – inter-alia -- the platform established by
the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), which met for
the first time in July at the initiative of the Belgian Government
and the support of a broad group of states. The human rights of
migrants was not a topic on the agenda of the Global Forum,
however, several of the observations and recommendations made in
Brussels were related to "cross-cutting issues", of which the human
rights of migrants, along with gender and root causes of migration
constituted indeed a significant outcome of the first GFMD. 
Significantly, the Forum singled out the following five priorities
in this area:

1. Fight racism and xenophobia;
2. Respect and implement relevant international instruments;
3. Adopt legislation and procedures to ensure protection and
   non-discriminatory treatment of migrants and give due consideration
   to family life;
4. Empower migrants through various measures prior to, during and
   after the migration process; and
5. Fight human trafficking and address the mismatch between legal
   migration channels and labor migration.

Some of these priorities Mr. Chairman have also been echoed by
other important initiatives launched or further developed in the
course of 2007. For instance, the Alliance of Civilization (AoC)
has highlighted the relevance of  "education, youth, migration
and the media" as key and interconnected priorities for reducing
tensions and facilitating tolerance and dialogue among cultures,
communities and individuals.

To pursue this agenda, IOM is engaged in a number of initiatives
and practical measures such as preparing migrants and host country
communities to mutual adjustment and the opening of legal channels
for migration. These measures could go a long way towards
protecting the human rights of migrants.  On the initiative of
the Alliance of Civilization, IOM has been working with members of
the press to discuss the role of the media in the way migration
issues and the image of migrants themselves is portrayed. To mark
the first anniversary of the launching of the report of the High
Level Panel on the Alliance of Civilization, IOM in cooperation
with the Inter Press Service (IPS) will hold a Conference on "The
Role of Communication in the Dialogue among Civilization" on 29
November in the city of Venice hosted by the Province of Venice and
with the participation of the UN High Representative of the AoC,
President J. Sampaio, among other senior participants.

Further, IOM is pleased that the issue of "Migrants’
rights and development" has been proposed by the Government of the
Philippines as one of the topics on the agenda of the next meeting
of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, to be held in
Manila in October of next year. Pending the decision of the GFMD
Steering Group concerning the final program, IOM, along with other
agencies and organizations of the Global Migration Group, has
offered its full support and cooperation to the Government of the
Philippines to assist in the organization of the Manila Forum and
to facilitate concrete follow up for the outcomes of the GFMD
meetings.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, earlier this week, the Special Rapporteur
on the human rights of migrants noted in his report the need for a
comprehensive approach to migrants’ human rights in order to
ensure that migrants had a framework for protection and enjoyed
rights appropriate and adequate to their particularly vulnerable
situation. In this connection, it may be appropriate to inform this
Committee of the recent steps taken by IOM to reinforce its
protection activities on behalf of migrants. In particular, the IOM
Council, at its latest session held this past June - in approving a
resolution on the "IOM Strategy" for the period 2007-2010 -
acknowledged that an effective contribution to promotion and
protection of the rights of migrants is an integral part of the
programmes of IOM, conceptually and in practice. With this
decision, the IOM Council recognized that although IOM has no legal
protection mandate, its activities de facto contribute to
protecting human rights, having the effect, or consequence, of
protecting persons involved in migration.

In sum, IOM aims at enhancing the humane and orderly management
of migration by extending protection to migrants through its
activities and ensuring effective respect for their human rights,
consistent with international law.

Thank you Mr. Chairman,