9th Session of the Committe

Ninth Session, Palais Wilson, Geneva, 24-28 November 2008

The Committee adopted Concluding Observations on the reports from El Salvador . They are available on this page.

During the interactive Dialogue that took place between the Committee members and the Salvadorian Delegation on 24 and 25 November 2008, issues that were discussed included: the need to reform the migration legal framework, the draft bill on migration; migrant workers in transit in El Salvador and the new migration centre; trade union rights for migrant workers; work of migrant children ; detention of undocumented migrant workers, administrative detention centres and access to health; expulsion of migrant workers; Circulation agreements with neighbouring countries; right to vote of Salvadorian migrant workers (from 17% to 50% of the population, according to different sources; Governmental source: 43.6%); consular support to vulnerable Salvadorian abroad; readmission agreements with other countries; services offered to returning Salvadorian migrant workers. For more detailed information, see the OHCHR Press Release. In addition, the Committee heard additional information on the situation in El Salvador from the FIDH and the Salvadorian “Procuradoria para la defensa de los derechos humanos” during a public session on Monday 24 November.

The Committee also adopted lists of issues on the reports from the Philippines and Bosnia & Herzegovina. The lists of issues can be found on this page.

The following information was received from the NGOs:

The Philippines: The Centre for Migrant Advocacy, based in the Philippines, sent a preliminary alternative report to the CMW to help prepare the list of issues. A complete report will be sent at a later stage. One of its representatives in Geneva gave an oral presentation to the Committee members during the private meeting on Tuesday 25 November. So did the ICMC representative.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: We are not aware of any additional information received by the Committee on Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Many of these documents can be found on the IPMWC webpage.

The Committee also held a public meeting with members of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Wednesday 26 November 2008. The aim of the meeting was to exchange views on the ratification of the Migrant Workers Convention. The CMW and the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe agreed that they would continue to collaborate on this issue.

On Friday 28 November, the Committee also discussed its participation to the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Manila, Philippines in October 2008, as observer; and the on-going work of the Inter-Committee Meeting on harmonisation of the methods of work of the Treaty Monitoring Bodies.