Migrants, advocates hold virtual conf on GCM, release regional agenda

Migrants, advocates and friends in Asia Pacific gathered in the Virtual Conference on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Regional Migrants Agenda organized by the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) last October 21 and 22, 2020.

The 50 participants of the conference hailed from 38 organizations of migrant workers, migrant domestic workers, marriage migrants, women migrants, returned migrants, families of migrants, as well as trade unions, migrant-serving institutions, academic, faith-based organizations, migrants’ rights advocates, and child rights advocacy groups based in 13 countries and country regions.

On the first day, Aaron Ceradoy, general manager of the APMM, talked about the GCM, its objectives and the planned regional review for 2020, and the compact’s significance to the campaigns of migrants on the ground. In his speech, Aaron pointed out that the migrants should be at the front and center of the GCM and that championing rights and justice for migrants should be the main thrust of the GCM implementation.

Right after, migrant leaders and advocates from Indonesia, Philippines and Bangladesh (migrant-sending countries) and South Korea, Japan and Malaysia (migrant-destination countries) went on to share issues and demands of migrants. The presenters highlighted ongoing campaigns and advocacy initiatives of migrant organizations and advocates as well as emerging issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the second day, participants were divided into breakout groups to share about the issues and demands of migrants in their respective locales, recommendations on these identified issues, as well as ways forward in their engagement particularly in the GCM review process. These issues and demands were reflected in the Regional Migrants’ Agenda, which was intended to be used as an advocacy tool for migrants and advocates as well as submitted to the UN Migration Network, a group of UN agencies working on the GCM and its implementation.

To read the Regional Migrants Agenda, please go to this link.