A/HRC/32/40
Importance of civil society
85.
Trade unions, non-governmental organizations and other civil society actors have
served an important function in raising awareness of the rights of migrants and reporting to
international human rights mechanisms. For example, the Centre for the Rights of Migrants
in Mexico conducts qualitative investigations of migrants’ experiences, reports abusive
recruitment practices, advocates legislative reform, engages in impact litigation, files
complaints under NAFTA and conducts trainings at the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights.
B.
Enhanced migration partnerships and cooperation, including
with the private sector
86.
States retain the primary responsibility for addressing the human rights impact of
trade liberalization. However, trade agreements have served as a vehicle for private actors,
including the business community, to understand human rights and offer critical insight into
effective policies for the management of migrant labour. Private actors have also helped
remedy some of the governance gaps related to mobility and trade policies in order to
mitigate liability, develop new markets and advance social responsibility. The United
States-Cambodia Bilateral Textile Agreement initiated a multi-stakeholder policy reform
process whereby the United States offered Cambodia better access to the garment market in
return for improving working conditions in its factories.
87.
The Special Rapporteur is aware of several multi-stakeholder action plans that
engage States, the private sector and trade unions in the articulation and promotion of
ethical labour standards for migrant workers. The ASEAN Declaration on the Protection
and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers aims to strengthen the protection and
promotion of the rights of migrant workers by enhancing labour migration governance in
ASEAN countries. The Institute for Human Rights and Business organized a series of
multi-stakeholder round tables during the period 2009-2012 with Governments,
multinational corporations, trade unions and other members of civil society to produce the
Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity (2011), which promote the responsible and
ethical recruitment of migrant workers. Business for Social Responsibility led a pilot
project in Malaysia with the non-governmental organization Tenaganita that resulted in the
production of a management toolkit for migrant workers.
88.
States have also collaborated to lower the human, social and economic costs of
migration and expand opportunities for migrants to invest their earnings more productively.
The Maya Declaration of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion unites over 57 financial
service providers in emerging and developing economies to promote financial inclusion by,
for example, lowering the costs of remittances and promoting digital financial services.
89.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships have also engaged migrants and diaspora
organizations in developing their communities of origin and destination. The Patrimonio
Hoy programme of Cemex, a company operating in the building materials industry,
provides migrant families with financing, construction materials and technical assistance so
they can erect or expand their homes. In the United States, workers participating in the Fair
Food Program play a leading role in monitoring and protecting their rights. Some retail
brands have made a binding commitment to support the enforcement of human rights by
leveraging their purchasing power.
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