ROMULO LEADS EAST ASIAN, LATIN AMERICAN FOREIGN MINISTERS IN AFFIRMING 
IMPORTANCE OF MULTILATERAL COOPERATION ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION  

22 August 2007 Brasilia , Brazil —Advancing the Philippines ’ advocacy on protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of migrant workers, Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo led foreign ministers from East Asia and Latin America in affirming the importance of multilateral efforts in addressing challenges and opportunities presented by international migration.  

At the Third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Forum on East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), Secretary Romulo stressed how cooperation can lead to a “better understanding” of international migration and “harness the phenomenon for the benefit of all.”  

In his statement delivered entirely in Spanish to the Foreign Ministers and heads of delegation from 15 East Asian and 18 Latin America comprising FEALAC, Secretary Romulo stressed the need for an “integrated approach” towards understanding international migration to “effectively address challenges and seize opportunities.”  

“Globalization has widened the windows of opportunities for millions of peoples.  It has, however, also unleashed forces that take advantage of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children,” said Secretary Romulo during the Plenary Session.  

Secretary Romulo identified ways for enhancing future collaboration on international migration, including participation in the 2^nd Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) which Manila will host in 2008.  

“By sharing the best experiences and practices of FEALAC member countries, and eventually promoting cooperation to address these issues, we can understand better the dynamic push and pull factors of migration, and more importantly, harness it for the benefit of all,”  Secretary Romulo emphasized in Spanish.  

“Your participation (at the 2^nd GFMD) will be crucial,” said Secretary Romulo.  

Stressing the value of sustained cooperation to achieve shared objectives, Secretary Romulo explained during the Plenary Session that “Through our collaboration, we can address urgent issues that affect us as one global community.”   

The Philippines ’ call for greater support for efforts to address and understand international migration received strong support from Mexico , Australia and Costa Rica during the FEALAC Senior Officials’ Meeting.  

FEALAC groups together 18 countries from Latin America and 15 from East Asia (10 ASEAN members, China , Republic of Korea , Japan , Australia and New Zealand ).   

Founded in 1999, FEALAC is the only formal mechanism for interaction between the two regions in the international system.  

FEALAC was conceived as an institutional mechanism for high-level political approximation and for implementing programs and plans to strengthen economic, political and cultural ties between the two regions.  

FEALAC fosters economic and social cooperation and the exchange of views on, among others, development, market strategies, education, formation of human capital, capacity building, job creation and socio-economic development.  

From 2001 to 2004, the Philippines and Colombia were FEALAC regional coordinators.  The Philippines ’ role as regional coordinator culminated with the holding of the Second Foreign Ministers Meeting of FEALAC in Manila and Tagaytay in January 2004.  

/Gary

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