A/HRC/4/24/Add.2 page 2 Summary This report is submitted in accordance with resolution 2001/52 of the Commission on Human Rights following the official visit paid by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to the Republic of Korea between 5 and 11 December 2006. The Special Rapporteur takes this opportunity to thank the Government of the Republic of Korea for inviting him to visit the country and for the valuable assistance and cooperation afforded to him prior to and during his mission. The Special Rapporteur notes that civil society in the Republic of Korea is highly organized to address the phenomenon of migration, including associations of migrant workers. The Special Rapporteur notes that steps taken by various migrant associations as well as women organizations in their negotiations with the authorities have led to important commitments on the part of the Government, in the context of the dialogue on improving the situation of migrants, especially for female foreign spouses. The report contains a study of the various aspects regarding the situation of migrants living in the Republic of Korea. The Special Rapporteur bases his finding on an analysis of labour laws and on information gathered through interviews and meetings he held with a wide array of sources, including Government officials, non-governmental organizations, lawyers, migrants, as well as from his visit to shelters for female migrants. Accordingly, he recommends a number of measures to be adopted by the Government in order to comply with its commitment to international human rights labour standards including: − ratification of the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; − review of the labour laws especially the Act Concerning the Employment Permit for Migrant Workers (EPS Act); − and measures to protect women in particular those involved in international marriages. In this report, the Special Rapporteur highlights the vulnerable situation of unskilled migrant workers who remain in an irregular situation in the Republic of Korea despite efforts to regularize their situation, given the lack of opportunities for a large proportion of them to stay beyond a limited three years time limit established by the current labour laws.