Closing remarks at the Philippine UN Network on Migration 3rd quarter meeting

By Mr Khalid Hassan, Director, ILO Country Office for the Philippines at the Philippine UN Network on Migration 3rd quarter meeting, 21 October 2022, Manila, Philippines

Statement | Manila, Philippines | 21 October 2022
  • Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople;
  • Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara;
  • Colleagues from the United Nations Country Team;
  • Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!
As the United Nations Network on Migration Philippines quarterly meeting concludes, it is my pleasure to deliver the following message.

Let me begin by thanking the Honourable Secretary Ople and Assistant Secretary Alcantara for joining us today and for outlining the key plans and priorities of the Philippines’ newest department – the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

We commend the department’s unrelenting efforts to safeguard the dignity, safety, and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers throughout their migration journey.

The United Nations Country Team looks forward to the upcoming Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 which will help guide our programmes and efforts, including those related to labour migration.

The UN is concurrently working on the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which I am glad to mention on behalf of the UN Core Team. The Framework will be in line with the PDP and contribute to Philippines’ efforts to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Global Compact for Migration goals.

Safe, humane, and orderly migration can only be achieved through the whole-of-government and whole-of society approach. The UN Migration Network and the UN family in the Philippines can leverage its institutional experience and global expertise to address many facets of migration.

The Network is aware of the DMW’s key plans and priorities, as well as partnership opportunities. Indeed, more work can and will be done, as we have discussed in this meeting.

To our colleagues in the UNCT, thank you for your active participation. As witnessed today, the Network is active and growing. We must preserve the synergy between our initiatives to strengthen labour migration governance.

As a core member of the UN Migration Network, the ILO remains open to working with constituents and social partners in promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration, particularly through our migration portfolio. Our collective efforts to protect the rights of migrant workers contribute to the ILO Global Call to Action for an inclusive, sustainable, resilient and human-centred recovery from COVID-19.

Lastly, let me take this opportunity to inform you that the UN Network on Migration is open to new memberships from the UNCT.

Thank you very much, and we look forward to our next meeting with you.