International Migrants Day - Saturday 18th December 2010

The Right to Work is the Right to Work anywhere in the world

'December 18' Network for the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers

Organize an event in your town/city, to celebrate, contact your local Trades Union Council

UK is not a signatory to the Migrant Workers Convention (International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families'), so lobby your MP, your MEP

December 18 an international NGO based in Europe will be coordinating events

Sign December 18 Petition Asking EU Member States to Ratify the Migrant Workers Convention

20 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, also known as the Migrant Workers Convention. We believe that the 20th anniversary provides an excellent opportunity for the European Union to live up to its core values and stand firm on the rights of migrant workers.

The Convention constitutes the broadest framework in international law for the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families and provides guidance to States on how to respect the rights of migrants while developing and implementing labour migration policies.

The Migrant Workers Convention is one of the nine core United Nations human rights instruments. It has now been ratified by 42 states and a further 16 have signed up and are in the process of ratification.

Yet, to date, no EU Member State has signed or ratified the Convention. Non-ratification brings the core values of the EU into question. The Member States of the European Union can no longer fall behind but must demonstrate in concrete terms their willingness to be held accountable for migrants as they have done for decades in relation to international treaties protecting other vulnerable groups, such as women and children.

The Member States of the European Union must ensure that the fundamental rights of migrant workers and their family members are guaranteed. We call on the 27 EU Member States to ratify this international Convention.

You can sign the petition here . . . . .

December 18 is a Brussels-based non-profit organization working for the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants worldwide from 1999. The name of the organization refers to the day when the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the "International Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families". Today, the 18th of December is also known as International Migrants Day.

December 18 advocates for a world where migrants are not discriminated against because of their sex, race, colour, language, religion or conviction, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, nationality, age, economic position, property, marital status, birth or any other status. A world that understands and accepts migration as normal and takes place within a framework that applies universal human rights norms and standards to all migrants and members of their families.

The mission of December 18 is to promote the protection of the rights of migrants worldwide. Our goal is to ensure that the human rights of all migrants are known, recognized and protected effectively, and that an environment is created for migrants to be full participants in any society. We promote an approach to migration policies that is based on existing international and regional human rights instruments and mechanisms.
http://www.december18.net/

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55/93. Proclamation of 18 December as International Migrants Day

The United Nations General Assembly,
Taking note of Economic and Social Council decision 2000/288 of 28 July 2000, Considering that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights1 proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, in particular as to race, colour or national origin,

Taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, Encouraged by the increasing interest of the international community in the effective and full protection of the human rights of all migrants, and underlining the need to make further efforts to ensure respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants,

1. Decides to proclaim 18 December International Migrants Day;

2. Invites Member States, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to observe International Migrants Day, through, inter alia, the dissemination of information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, the sharing of experience and the design of actions to ensure their protection;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Governments and appropriate intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.