Thank you, for inviting the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to participate in this important event in preparation of the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development.
We are honoured and pleased to be considered as one of the “Friends of the Forum”. My special thanks also go to the distinguished Ambassador of Japan who kindly referred to the recent 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent where Migration and its humanitarian consequences were among the most prominent themes.
Mr. Chairman, this very pertinent reference by Amb. Fujisaki allows me to make a link with the theme that brought us here today and the discussions held at the above Conference.
The Conference adopted the Declaration “Together for Humanity” where the theme “Humanitarian concerns generated by international migration” is placed among the four major areas of cooperation between the members of this Conference and other institutions.
The members of the Conference comprise the 186 Red Cross or Red Crescent National Societies, their International Federation, the International Committee of Red Cross as well as the 194 States Parties to Geneva Conventions.
Mr. Chairman, we appreciate the fact emphasized in your introduction that the forum we are discussing today is government-led with participation of the civil society.
The Declaration of our Conference also stated that the members of the Conference “acknowledge the role of Governments, within the framework of national laws and international law, especially international human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law, to address the humanitarian needs of persons negatively affected by migration, including families and communities.”
What was also recognized, however, is “the role of National Societies, based on the principles of humanity and impartiality, and in consultation with public authorities, to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable migrants, irrespective of their legal status.”
The 186 National Societies and their almost 100 million volunteers as well as their international Federation and the ICRC can and, indeed, already make important contribution to solving issues related to vulnerabilities of migrants.
Their response varies from country to country depending on the specific domestic situation and the resources available within each National Society. Activities cover several fields:
- Humanitarian assistance: e.g., providing food, shelter, clothing, health care, first aid, psycho-social support, etc.
- Protection (and this has a direct link with the agenda of the upcoming Manila Forum, Mr. Chairman, namely round tables 1 and 2): e.g., restoring family links, legal and administrative advice, acting against exploitation and deception, providing information on the risks of irregular migration, visiting migrants in detention with a view to helping improve their detention conditions and their treatment when necessary.
As well as
- Advocacy: providing the humanitarian perspective to policy decisions, combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination, promoting international norms in that respect.
- Integration and reintegration: reception services, fostering social participation and solidarity (e.g., as Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers);
- Promoting respect for human dignity.
We are ready to share our best practices and some solutions to problems identified in the Manila Forum Agenda.
The Movement's components have common – universal – principles for addressing the migration issue, supporting each other and cooperating in solidarity networks.
The Movement as a whole has an established status internationally, nationally and locally. National Societies have formal relations with governments, as their auxiliaries in the humanitarian field, but also the potential to establish confidential dialogue with them on humanitarian issues linked to migration. In some circumstances, they will approach the authorities so that they can take action to protect the victims of exploitation and trafficking.
National Societies are locally based and have close contact with people directly affected by the migration process – both the migrants and the host society. Migrants trust them because they respond to individual needs and remain neutral.
National Societies have noticed that vulnerable groups – especially victims of smuggling and human trafficking – frequently prefer to seek the assistance and support of local Red Cross or Red Crescent branches rather than approach the authorities.
As locally based organizations, National Societies are well placed to inform potential migrants of the risk of irregular migration before they choose to undertake their journeys.
All of these activities have, in our view, a direct relation to all of the three round tables that are in the manila Forum Agenda: Roundtable 1: “Migration, Development and Human Rights”; Roundtable 2: “Secure, legal migration can achieve stronger development impacts” and Roundtable 3: “Policy and institutional coherence and partnerships”.
Mr. Chairman, addressing humanitarian needs of migrants is the important step leading to their empowerment.
That, in turn, will constitute basis for developmental benefits of international migration for both migrants and societies. And we agree with your observation that “there is increasing evidence that the developmental benefits of international migration for both migrants and societies are contingent upon the effective protection of the rights of migrants and their human security”.
In fact, it somewhat complements and furthers our own finding made at the International Conference, and I quote the Declaration: “We, while acknowledging the many benefits of international migration as well as its complex and multifaceted nature, recognize that migration may generate issues of humanitarian concern in all regions of the world.”
We particularly welcome your assessment presented in the “draft annotated roundtable themes for GFMD Manila”, I quote: “It is reasonable to assume that migrants are best able to contribute to development in both the country of origin and the host country when they are protected and empowered socially, economically and in terms of their basic human rights, regardless of their migration status. International and national law provide the framework for states to protect the rights of all persons living on their territory, including migrants, and to work towards their human security.”
Mr. Chairman, we also support your focus on public-private partnerships and cooperation between governments of origin and host countries in dealing with various aspects of migration.
We believe the proposal by Pakistan supported by Thailand made today regarding the need to expand this list to the interagency coordination between international organisations dealing with migration is worth exploring.
Mr. Chairman, two weeks ago at our International Conference we committed (when dealing, inter alia, with humanitarian concerns generated by international migration), “to intensify operational interaction and partnerships among ourselves, and with other institutions – e.g., intergovernmental, supranational, non-governmental, academic – as well as media and the private sector”.
We in the Red Cross and Red Crescent are ready to honour this commitment and, together with other “Friends of the Manila Forum”, we pledge to its organizers our full support and active participation.