Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers Closes Thirty-Fifth Session after Adopting Concluding Observations on Bolivia, Syria and Venezuela

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families this afternoon concluded its thirty-fifth session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of Bolivia, Syria and Venezuela.

The concluding observations will be available on the webpage of the session in the coming days.

Edgar Corzo Sosa, Committee Chair, said that many people on the move today fell outside of badly needed legal protection of their human rights. In order to ensure that every migrant was able to access appropriate protection of her or his rights, the situation of each person needed to be assessed individually. Thousands of migrants went missing or died each year along migration routes. On 7 March 2022, the Heads of the United Nations Network on Migration’s Executive Committee had called on States to urgently assume collective responsibility to save lives and prevent migrants from going missing or dying along migration routes, to search for and identify those who have gone missing and to assist their families. The Heads of the Executive Committee were particularly alarmed about the growing trend of criminalising or obstructing efforts to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance.

During the session, in addition to assessing the reports of Bolivia, Syria and Venezuela, the Committee also adopted the list of issues prior to reporting for Senegal and Türkiye; assessed follow-up reports concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico and Tajikistan and adopted the evaluation follow-up letters.

Mr. Corzo Sosa commended the Governments of Bolivia, Syria and Venezuela for engaging with the Committee in spite of the challenging situations they all faced. That was a positive demonstration of the commitment of those States to their reporting obligations and engagement with the treaty body system.

During its session, the Committee was briefed by Mr. Felipe González Morales, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, on joint collaboration with the Committee.

Mr. Corzo Sosa said the Committee had also during its session held a successful half-day of general discussion on its draft General Comment No. 6 on the convergence of the Convention and the Global Compact for Migration. The participants had called on States to implement the Convention and the Global Compact for Migration in synergy, as they were unique, complementary and mutually reinforcing in advancing migration governance and in promoting and protecting the rights of all migrants.

Further, the Committee together with the Committee on the Rights of the Child had held a joint side event on 28 September at the Geneva Academy to commemorate the fifth anniversary of their joint general comments on “ States obligations regarding the human rights of children in countries of origin, transit, destination and return .” Panellists had called on States to consider the best interests of the child in decisions concerning family reunification, to refrain from immigration detention of children and to seek alternatives to detention.

During its session, the Committee held discussions on its 2022-2023 bi-annual Work Plan, the intensification of its ratification campaign, the harmonisation of its working methods with other committees, its partnership with champion States as well as with civil society organizations and the African Network of National Human Rights Institutions. In that regard, the Committee had taken several important decisions to enhance its work and visibility.

In closing remarks, Mr. Corzo Sosa extended thanks to members of the Secretariat who worked hard to make the thirty-fifth session successful. He expressed hope that the thirty-sixth session, to be held in March and April 2023 in Geneva, would be equally successful.

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CMW22.010E