Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development

ILO participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD

ILO participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD), organized by the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) Thematic Working Group on International Migration including Human Trafficking, which brings together 15 United Nations entities and affiliated organizations, including ILO.

The meeting comprised four thematic roundtables:
  • (1) Ensuring respect for and protection of the rights of all migrants and promoting legal and orderly labour migration;
  • (2) Addressing the gender dimensions of international migration and their impact on women, children and families;
  • (3) Assessing the effects of international migration on sustainable development and identifying relevant priorities; and
  • (4) Promoting regional cooperation and institutional coherence and partnerships in addressing international migration.
In the first roundtable, Ryszard Cholewinski (Migration Policy Specialist, Labour Migration Branch) gave a presentation on “International Standards on Migrant Workers: Issues and Challenges”, which discussed a number of arguments why migrant workers are in need of specific protection. The presentation outlined the normative framework relating to migration governance and the protection of all migrants, with particular reference to migrant workers, ILO's mandate and applicable international labour standards. It also discussed a number of key issues and protection challenges concerning: temporary labour migration; the responsibilities of origin and destination countries; migrant workers in an irregular situation; bilateral arrangements to regulate labour migration; and participation of relevant stakeholders, including the social partners, in the formulation and development of labour migration policies.