E/CN.4/2002/94 page 21 subsequently proposed to the two Governments that the visit should be rescheduled for January 2002. In response to her suggestion, the United States Government requested her not to make the visit before the first fortnight in March, to allow time for proper preparations. The Special Rapporteur hopes that by the time this report is issued the visit to the two countries will have taken place. 79. By a letter dated 8 June 2001, the Government of the Philippines agreed to the Special Rapporteur’s proposal that she should visit the Philippines within the context of her mandate. After an exchange of correspondence, the visit was scheduled between 7 and 16 February 2002. However, as a result of the adjustments made in the Special Rapporteur’s timetable following the events of 11 September 2001, it was suggested to the Government of the Philippines that the visit should be rescheduled in May 2002. D. Participation in the preparations for the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the Conference itself 80. In recent decades there has been an increase in displays of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and inhuman and degrading treatment against migrants in various parts of the world. For this reason, in resolution 1999/44, which sets out the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the Commission invited the Special Rapporteur to participate actively in the work of the preparatory committees for the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Forms of Intolerance. The Special Rapporteur attended most sessions of the Preparatory Committee, the regional meetings and the seminars of experts organized in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. On each occasion she reviewed the progress made and put forward recommendations relating to the migration issues which should be included in the Durban agenda and the manner in which they should be addressed from the viewpoint of the human rights of migrants. 81. During the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, which was held from 31 August to 7 September 2001 in Durban, South Africa, the Special Rapporteur participated in the Seminar on Cooperation for the Better Protection of the Rights of Minorities, a round table on gender and migration and forums organized by non-governmental organizations. She was also a special guest at a forum on “Voices of Victims”, where she heard testimony from victims of discrimination, xenophobia and racism. 82. Thanks to her constant presence at pre-Conference activities and meetings and during the World Conference itself, the Special Rapporteur helped to ensure that 45 paragraphs which refer to migration issues were approved in the Declaration and Programme of Action. Noteworthy among the issues covered in the two documents are: the situation of vulnerability in which migrant women and children find themselves; family reunification as a means of facilitating the integration of migrants in the host society; migrant workers, and among them domestic employees in particular; the voluntary return of migrants to their countries of origin in dignity; efforts to combat transnational organized crime networks smuggling migrants and trafficking in