Subject: [fem-women2000 417] International Migrants' Day (fwd)
From: lalamaziwa <lalamaziwa@jca.apc.org>
Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 00:06:41 +0900
Seq: 417

forwarding..

---------------- Original message follows ----------------
 From: "Myriam De Feyter" <myriam@december18.net>
 Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 14:10:50 +0100
 Subject: International Migrants' Day
--

Please read the following petition carefully, sign on if you wish and
return the list of signatures (including your signature) to
info@december18.net. We invite you to send the petition to your friends
and family in order to give it as wide a distribution as possible. We
thank you for your support and co-operation.

In 1997, migrant worker organisations in the Philippines initiated the
idea to celebrate December 18 as the International Day of Solidarity
with Migrants. December 18 is significant because it was on that date -
ten years ago - that the International Convention on the Protection of
the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was
approved by the UN General Assembly. Today, the Convention has not yet
come into effect, due to a lack of interest by the UN member states.

Obviously, solidarity with migrants is not a priority for most
governments. Moreover, an official UN International Migrants' Day has
not yet been established. Governments are primarily concerned about
protecting themselves against migrants. Few are eager to give much
thought to migrants' rights, let alone show solidarity with migrants.

Earlier this year for the 56th session of the UN Commission on Human
Rights (UNCHR)  - held from March 22nd until April 28th, 2000 - NGOs
world wide co-signed a letter in support of the UN designation of
December 18 as International Migrants' Day. 

This year's UNCHR resolution on migrants' human rights included a
request to the Economic and Social Council to ask the Secretary-General
to study the possibility for an official UN designation of December 18
as International Migrants' Day. The resolution was co-sponsored by 41
country delegations and adopted by consensus. This success was due in
large part to the continuing efforts by many non-governmental
organisations.

As the next step in the ongoing campaign, we are now circulating this
petition to seek support from individuals like you. In order to get as
much support as possible for the designation of an International
Migrants' Day and for the protection of the human rights of migrants, we
invite you, your friends and family to sign on. The statement and list
of signatures will be sent to the UN Secretary-General and attached to a
separate NGO letter to be sent to UN member states in support of the UN
designation of an International Migrants' Day and the ratification of
the International Convention. Your name will be posted on the web site
of the organiser of this petition: December 18, an online network for
the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers. More
information about the organisation and the campaign can be found at
http://www.december18.net.

STATEMENT 

(Please sign on and return the list of signatures (including your
signature) to info@december18.net. We invite you to send the petition to
your friends and family in order to give it as wide a distribution as
possible. The petition is also available in French and Spanish and can
be requested from the same e-mail address. Note that this petition will
be taken out of circulation on December 18, 2000. No more signatures
will be accepted after that date. We thank you for your support and
co-operation.) 

"I support the efforts by non-governmental organisations world wide to
establish a UN International Migrants' Day and request that all
governments make the protection of the human rights of migrants a
priority in national and international affairs."

NAME, FIRST NAME, CITY AND COUNTRY

1. De Feyter Myriam, High Wycombe, UK
2. Plaetevoet Ren=e5K High Wycombe, UK




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