A/61/324 18. Throughout the whole of 2006, numerous meetings and events have taken place in preparation for the General Assembly’s High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, including a number of panel events and informal interactive hearings with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), members of civil society and the private sector. On 18 May 2006, The SecretaryGeneral has issued a comprehensive report in preparation for the Dialogue (A/60/871). These events and initiatives have been extremely important in raising public awareness regarding the many issues that can affect migrants, and regardless of the form that follow-up to the Dialogue will take, should have a positive impact on questions relating to the mandate. 19. Furthermore, in early 2006, and with the encouragement of the SecretaryGeneral, membership in the Geneva Migration Group was expanded to include the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the World Bank. The Group’s terms of reference were updated, and the Group was renamed the Global Migration Group (GMG). The Geneva Migration Group had been established in April 2003 by the heads of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. GMG is developing a programme of work to focus its attention on priority migration issues that would benefit from more vigorous inter-agency consultation and collaboration. 20. In March 2006, the Governing Body of ILO authorized the Director-General to publish the text of the Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration adopted by the Tripartite Meeting of Experts that met in October/November 2005. These nonbinding principles and guidelines for a rights-based approach to labour migration should provide important guidance to Governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations and enhance the protection of migrants all over the world. 1 21. Finally, on 1 July 2006, a series of amendments to the maritime conventions 2 came into force which should enhance the protection of migrants at sea. Ships have long had a duty to rescue persons at risk at sea. However, those fulfilling this obligation have often faced problems as States have sometimes refused to authorize migrants and refugees rescued at sea, in particular undocumented persons, to disembark. This has often placed shipowners and companies in a very difficult situation, and has at times been seen to threaten the humanitarian tradition to assist persons at peril at sea. 22. In recognition of the seriousness of this issue, the States parties to the relevant international maritime conventions adopted a number of amendments to ensure that the obligation of the ship’s captain to render assistance is complemented by a corresponding obligation of States to cooperate in rescue situations. These amendments should lift from the captain the sole responsibility for the care of survivors, allowing persons rescued at sea in such circumstances to be promptly taken to a safe place. __________________ 1 2 6 Available at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/migrant/download/tmmflm-en.pdf. The 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (the SOLAS Convention) and the 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (the SAR Convention). See press release by the International Maritime Organization at http://www.imo.org/home.asp. 06-51782