SFA-AGR-293-08

INTERNATIONAL BODY ON PROTECTION OF MIGRANT WORKERS  ELECTS RP AMBASSADOR JOSE BRILLANTES AS VICE-CHAIRPERSON

28 April 2008 – The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CPRMW) held a public meeting and elected a new Bureau from among its members, in Geneva on 15 April 2008. Philippine Envoy to Canada Jose Brillantes was elected as Vice-Chairperson.  Also elected to the same Post were Anamaria Dieguez of Guatemala and Azad Taghizadet of Azerbaijan.

Abdelhamid El Jamri from Morocco was elected as Committee Chairperson; and Francisco Alba of Mexico was designated Rapporteur.

The Committee set up in 2004 pursuant to the provisions of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families is set to begin consideration of country reports on the implementation of the convention. Slated to present the first report is Syria.

Outgoing Chairperson Prasad Kariyawasam, sharing his thoughts as the First Chair of the Committee, recommends that the Committee concentrate on efforts to universalize the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Currently, States Parties to the Convention are Azerbaijan, Belize, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda and Uruguay.

Philippine Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing and other members of the Philippine delegation to the Human Rights Council Periodic Review also attended the Committee session. END.

Gary