A/58/275 Report on the human rights of migrants submitted by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights Summary The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 57/218 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/46. During the period under review the Special Rapporteur participated in a number of conferences, seminars and consultations on issues relating to migration. The Special Rapporteur also held consultations with representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Governments on the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants. The Special Rapporteur continued to receive information about the situation of migrants worldwide and to exchange communications with Governments. The Special Rapporteur plans to visit Spain, Morocco, Belgium and Italy in the second half of 2003 and the first half of 2004. She received an invitation from the Government of Burkina Faso to visit in the first half of 2003. At the same time, the Special Rapporteur intends to visit Côte d’Ivoire and Mali in order to study the migration situation and dynamics in the region. She also plans to undertake an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran in February 2004. Governments’ strategies and policies in responding to the challenges posed by migration in its present dimensions have often failed to ensure respect for Governments’ human rights obligations vis-à-vis migrants. Under these circumstances, the Special Rapporteur increasingly views as a priority the promotion of a human rights-based approach to activities and policies relating to migration issues. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur has observed that the strengthening of security policies and the tendency to consider migration as a matter falling under State security plans pose a threat to the human rights of migrants. The Special Rapporteur believes that migration must not be considered only a matter of security. The involvement of the ministries of foreign affairs, health, education, social welfare and labour, as well as civil society, in the development of national migration plans and policies is necessary in order to ensure the protection of the human rights and the dignity of migrants. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that increased international cooperation and dialogue for the development of human rights-informed migration policies and comprehensive, coordinated and harmonized systems of migration management are necessary to combat irregular migration, smuggling, trafficking and violations of the human rights of migrants. The Special Rapporteur believes that strengthened cooperation between all relevant international organizations, with the growing involvement of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is the best way to ensure that human rights will be mainstreamed into the work of the international community in the field of migration. This would include cooperation in policy development, training and capacity-building, among other areas. The Special Rapporteur notes the importance of the programmes of the International Labour 2