20th Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Migrant Workers Convention: Call for ratification by the Republic of China - Taiwan

20th Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Migrant Workers Convention: Call for ratification by the Republic of China - Taiwan

ECMI Taiwan, May 30, 2010

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (Migrant Workers Convention), a global campaign has been launched calling on governments to act immediately to end widespread human rights violations, suffered daily by migrants around the world, by ratifying this Convention. The Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants' and Itinerant People (ECMI) joins this global campaign by urging the Government of the Republic of China to adhere to this global call.

Today, we, the Migrants' Chaplains, are writing to call upon the Government of the Republic of China to ratify this core international human rights instrument.

As of 2010 it is estimated that 214 million persons are migrants, representing just over 3 percent of the world population. Almost all states are affected by migration either as origin, destination or transit countries and are thus confronted with the challenges of developing effective migration policies with human rights at their core.

Migration continues to be one of the most important social and economic phenomena affecting Taiwan, as a country of both immigration and emigration. "It is estimated that the total number of migrant workers and immigrants in Taiwan, mainly from Southeast Asia, is over 700,000 individuals, representing about 3% of the total local population of more than 23 million."

Although for many persons migration is a positive experience, many others migrate under duress and face severe hardships in their countries of destination, in this case, in Taiwan. Migrant workers all over the world remain particular targets of abuse, discrimination and exploitation by smugglers, recruitment agents and employers, and victims of human trafficking. Yet, an instrument is at the Government's disposal to eradicate these human rights violations, to improve the working and living conditions of migrants and to strengthen their legal protection.

Since its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1990, the Migrant Workers Convention has been ratified by 42 states and signed by a further 16 states. The Convention recognizes the specific vulnerabilities of migrant workers and promotes humane and lawful working and living conditions and the need for increased protection. It provides guidance on the elaboration of national migration policies, which can only be effective if they are based on respect for human rights and the rule of law. It sets out provisions to combat exploitation of migrant workers and members of their families in countries of arrival, transit and departure of migrants.

In line to this call, the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People of the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference would like also to affirm the effort of the Legislative Yuan, who in 2007 ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) after 27 years since its adoption in 1979 by the UN General Assembly.

We urge the Government of the Republic of China to seize the occasion of the 20th anniversary to ratify the Migrant Workers Convention and thereby send a strong message of its commitment to protect effectively the human rights of migrant workers. We strongly hope that on 18 December 2010, we can also celebrate the ratification of the Convention by Taiwan.