Press Release No. 094-03
20 March 2003
PHILIPPINES WELCOMES COMING INTO FORCE OF UNITED NATIONS MIGRANT WORKERS CONVENTION

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople today said that the Philippines looks forward to the entry into force of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1990.

Article 87 of the Migrant Workers Convention provides that the Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following a period of three months after the date of the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession. On 14 March 2003 Guatemala became the twentieth country to deposit its instrument of ratification for the Migrant Convention.  Under Article 87, the Migrant Convention will enter into force on 1 July 2003.

“The Philippines was the one who initiated in the United Nations the negotiation and adoption of this important convention.  We were deeply involved in its negotiations and actively campaigned to convince states to become parties to this convention,” Secretary Ople said.

The Migrant Workers Convention will safeguard the core rights of migrant workers and their families, giving the accord the force of international law.

This landmark agreement recognizes the importance and extent of the migration phenomenon, which involves millions of people and affects an increasing number of States, and looks to establish norms that may contribute to the acceptance of basic principles concerning the treatment of migrant workers and their families.

“At this point what is important is for us to continue lobbying states to join this convention.  The Philippines is determined to strengthen the international framework that will help to protect our migrant workers,” Secretary Ople said.

The following countries are currently parties to the Migrant Convention: Azerbaijan, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana and Guinea, Guatemala, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uganda and Uruguay.