1. Existing and emerging international frameworks for migrants’ rights
Christian Wolff, ACT Alliance
CEC-CCME Summer School on Human Rights
‘Rights Under Threat - Stand up for Refugees’ and Migrants’ Rights’
2.6 July 2017 – Palermo, Italy

2. Definitions & numbers
A migrant is a person “outside his or her country of birth”
244 million worldwide, about half are labour migrants
About 3% of the world’s population – growth in overall numbers but not in percentages
Most international migration occurs within and between countries in the Global South
International migration is dwarfed by internal migration
Many migrants move regularly, are well integrated, contribute to host and home societies
Problems occur primarily for those fleeing conflict, as well as for labour migrants in semi- and lower-skilled sectors, many of whom face exploitation and abuse
These issues have been brought into more recently through the growth of mixed movements

3. International instruments
“There is no international framework governing migration” – not quite:
Several instruments protect the human rights of all, including migrants:
UDHR
ICCPR
ICESCR
CEDAW
CRC
CERD

4. International instruments ii
Several other instruments and mechanisms more specifically address the concerns of migrants:
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families(1990) – implementation through Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW): 50 ratifications
ILO Conventions - adoption at ILC, monitoring through ILO complaints procedures:
97 (Migration for Employment, 1949): 49 ratifications
143 (Migrant Workers – Supplementary Provisions, 1975): 23 ratifications
189 (Decent Work for Domestic Workers, 2011): 24 ratifications
UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants – reports to HRC
Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) – annual, state-led, non- binding process (GCIM, HLD)

5. Global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration
New York Summit on large movement of refugees and migrants & adoption of New York Declaration, Sep 2016
2-year process for adoption of separate Global Compacts on Refugees and on Migrants
Current consultation process split into themes and regions
Expected adoption at the end of 2018 through an intergovernmental conference
Many uncertainties about scope, nature, impact

6. Global compact: issues
Expected Format: between binding and non-binding / global approaches vs mini- multilateralism / RCPs
Linkages with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Basic problems with the ‘migration management’ approach
Returns, readmission and reintegration – highly controversial between states & CS, and between sending and receiving states
Legal / regular pathways – to what extent will states be prepared to commit across a wider spectrum of sectors?
‘Drivers’ of migration – to what extent will the GC be able to set useful & implementable goals for addressing issues like climate change, conflict, and poverty – and/or, how will this be linked to other existing frameworks (Paris; Sendai)
Implementation