GFMD head: Govts lack political will in solving migration problems

MANILA, Philippines - The head of the second Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) has criticized governments for their alleged lack of political will in addressing problems on migration through laws and international agreements. "What has been missing so far are not potential rules, but political will to adopt and apply them," said GFMD chairperson Sharan Burrow in front of representatives from 170 countries who attended Monday’s opening plenary of the forum’s civil society days. She said governments must lead in stopping exploitation of migrants who have turned into “commodities" amid globalization. “Labor is not a commodity and migrant labor is not a bill of sale," said Burrow, who is also president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. Burrow said governments must ensure that migrants’ freedom of mobility is protected because migration is about safeguarding human rights. "There is (a) challenge for the world's leaders to ensure that the potential for the mobility…that is born of choice and not desperation, a mobility that provides opportunities and not exploitation, is framed by a new architecture of protection," she said. Burrow said that because migration is a permanent feature of many nations, it is often forgotten that it is about working people, and their families. "At its core, migration must be about human rights and dignity." The GFMD chair is aware that solving problems on migration is not easy. "Like climate change or the financial crisis, no one government acting alone can guarantee a rights-based system of migration," she said. Nevertheless, Burrow said governments must “act collectively" in making sure that the “development model for a fair globalization (promoting) full employment and decent work" set by the UN and the International Labor Organization (ILO) are being met. She said ILO’s Convention 97 and Convention 143 “provide a solid basis for coherent migration policies." The conventions supposedly provide international cooperation, ways of combating irregular migration, and facilitation of the integration of migrants in countries of destination, according to Burrow. She said these conventions were also supposed to assess labor market needs through social dialogs and deal with remittances and ethical recruitment. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV