Aware that human migration is a
global issue that needs worldwide cooperation,
Acknowledging that human migration is, has been, and
will always be a global issue, and seeking one’s
basic human rights is a right,
Confirming that human rights are
inalienable, regardless of any external factors, particularly
political status,
Being aware that there are 191 million
known international migrants recorded as of 2005,
as well as the countless number of cases of migration
not reported due to their illegal nature,
Considering that migrants play an
important role in a country’s development, and
that both governments and the populations of the receiving
and home countries play a vital role in the promotion
of migrants’ human rights, which is associated
with Millennium Development Goal #8,
Understanding that nations determine
their policies based on their own economic and social
factors,
Noting that migrants contribute as
tax payers to most countries proving that they can
be a positive economic factor,
Alarmed by human trafficking in
which humans are sold, thus denying them the best
opportunities that migrants seek,
Recognizing the disparity between
voluntary and involuntary migrants and the importance
of taking action to get the rights and the proper
treatment for all migrants,
Bearing in mind that respect for
migrants and recognition of other cultures is adversely
affected by xenophobia,
Alarmed by the fact that most nationals
lack awareness about the issue and so unnecessary
feelings of racism tend to prevail in a country,
Concerned that the rights of undocumented
migrants including children are violated and that
migrants experience a lack of respect and empathy
sparked by ignorance,
Regretting that children migrants
also suffer greater physical and psychological abuse
than that of average migrant workers,
Fully believing that all infringements
of human rights should be reported and resolved regardless
of proven legal status,
Conscious of the hardship and abuse
inflicted upon migrant workers such as sexual exploitation,
forced labor, and hazardous working conditions,
Grieved that female migrants suffer
from a “double marginalization”, where
these migrant workers suffer both physical and psychological
abuse, discrimination, trafficking, and prostitution
and/or slavery,
Aware that it is often more difficult
for women and children than for men to migrate for
work purposes owing to gender relations, hierarchies
and structural characteristics of the country of origin,
Concerned about the fate of migrants’
children in the question of whether or not they receive
equal treatment in schools and extracurricular activities,
Noting with concern that all migrant
workers have the possibility of being stripped of
identification and travel documents, as well as any
traceable documentation, placing them in complete
dependence upon their employers,
Emphasizing the recommendations
from the January 12, 2004 16th Session of the United
Nations Economic and Social Council’s Commission
on Human Rights,
Appreciating the work of the United
Nations organizations for the protection of female
migrants through the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM),
Acknowledging the work of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) for the protection of migrant
rights,
Recalling Articles 25 and 26 of
the aforementioned Convention on Migrant Workers stating
the right of all migrant workers to legalized health
care and the right to equal unionization (See appendix
1),
The student delegation
1. Encourages all member states
of the United Nations to ratify the International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all
Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
2. Suggests that governments provide
incentives (i.e., tax breaks) to businesses that can
prove that they are employing regular, rather than
irregular, migrants;
3. Urges the cooperation of governments,
and public and privately owned companies, in fairly
distributing visas to potential migrant workers;
4. Encourages the cooperation of
NGOs along with nation-state governments to create
a system for the protection of all migrant workers,
such as hotlines, safe houses, and other culturally
appropriate systems for protection;
5. Urges the receiving countries
to address the vulnerability and exploitation of child
migrants by granting them the rights they are entitled
to in The Human Charter of Rights and Freedoms and
the Convention on the Rights of the Child
6. Suggests that efforts be made
by governments to ensure the full rights of all migrants
to dignity, respect, through systemized efforts to
raise public awareness among all citizens, including
youth, through educational institution campaigns;
7. Supports cultural exchange programs
to build bridges between nations provide better understanding
between migrants and their host communities;
8. Calls upon member states of the
United Nations to provide programs to help those suspected
of having been victimized by trafficking and other
types of exploitation
9. Invites the creation of an international
organization for the purpose of educating migrant
workers of their rights as documented in the International
Convention of Migrant Workers;
10. Encourages the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights to regulate training
camps for women wishing to work abroad, ensuring that
living conditions are adequate and that no physical,
sexual or emotional abuse is occurring;
11. Calls upon the international
community at large to accept a program of legalized
temporary migrant workers where labor visas will be
awarded in order to diminish illegal migration and
enhance the protection of the rights of migrant workers;
12. Urges the unification of international
migrants workers in order to ensure the protection
of migrant rights in the global work place;
13. Declares that migrants are entitled
to all human rights as enumerated in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights;
13. Suggests that the United Nations
increase efforts to raise awareness of migration difficulties,
including the fact that many migrants considered voluntary
do not migrate completely willingly; their individual
circumstances drive them to migrate;
14. Calls upon industrialized countries
to further develop industries in countries with weak
economies;
15. Supports the increased availability
of contact information by the employers to the families
of their workers;
16. Encourages governments of nations
to invest resources to the improvement of education
in the world’s developing countries;
17. Encourage host countries to
adopt internationally adequate policies in cooperation
with the countries of origin of migrants to ensure
better management of migration,
18. Appeals to the countries of destination
to respect the rights of all migrants regardless of
their proven legal status;
19. Urges member states of the United
Nations to make known to women the approved recruitment
and employment agencies;
20. Suggests that countries become
more flexible in the regular immigration process;
21. Calls upon countries not to
deport irregular immigrants who have not committed
criminal offenses other than residing in the host
nation irregularly;
22. Requests that the United Nations
create a department for Internally Displaced People
(IDP) in order to better fulfill the needs of the
IDP;
23. Directs that the contracts between
private employers and their migrant workers be made
available in languages understood by both parties;
24. Suggests that government programs
enable better communication between migrants and citizens
in the receiving countries by processes including
the education of the host country’s language
(s)
25. Strongly suggests that governments
educate migrants to enable them to be financially
self-sufficient and provide assistance, until the
migrants can provide for themselves;
26. Recognizes that financial aid
towards immigration should be provided through both
government and private organized programs
27. Encourages students to spread
awareness of the difficulties of migration, in order
to spread understanding and facilitate the cultural
assimilation.
28. Calls upon students to promote
human values such as acceptance of all humans and
their differences and work to eradicate xenophobia;
29. Suggests the implementation
of language education programs for migrants for little
or no cost;
30. Emphasizes the need for public
awareness of issues concerning domestic violence,
and abuses in the workforce among migrants;
31. Promotes student and teacher
participation in cultural exchange programs to promote
cultural understanding and decrease cultural clashes.
Appendix 1
Article 25
1. Migrant workers shall enjoy treatment not less
favourable than that which applies to nationals of
the State of employment in respect of remuneration
and: (a) Other conditions of work, that is to say,
overtime, hours of work, weekly rest, holidays with
pay, safety, health, termination of the employment
relationship and any other conditions of work which,
according to the national law and practice, are covered
by these terms; (b) Other terms of employment, that
is to say, minimum age of employment, restriction
on home work and any other matters which, according
to national law and practice, are considered a term
of employment. 2. It shall not be lawful to derogate
in private contracts of employment from the principle
of equality of treatment referred to in paragraph
1 of the present article. 3. States Parties shall
take all appropriate measures to ensure that migrant
workers are not deprived of any rights derived from
this principle by reason of any irregularity in their
stay or employment. In particular, employers shall
not be relieved of any legal or contractual obligations,
nor shall their obligations be limited in any manner
by reason of such irregularity.
Article 26
1. State parties recognize the right of migrant workers
and members of their families: (a) To take part in
meetings and activities of trade unions and of any
other associations established in accordance with
law, with a view to protecting their economic, social,
cultural, and other interests, subject only to the
rules of the organization concerned; (b) To join freely
any trade union and any such association as aforesaid,
subject only to the rules of the organization concerned;
(c) To seek the aid and assistance of any trade union
and any such association as aforesaid. 2. No restrictions
may be placed on the exercise of these rights other
than those that are prescribed by law and which are
necessary in a democratic society and in the interests
of national security, public order, or the protection
of the rights and freedoms of others.
