International Migration and Human Rights: Challenges and Opportunities on the Threshold of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This report, which was initiated by UNFPA, represents a collaboration among the member agencies of the Global Migration Group. If argues that migrants, in spite of their many positive contributions to the development of countries of origin and destination, should be seen not solely as agents of development. They are human beings with rights that States have an obligation to protect even as they exercise their sovereign right to determine who enters and remains in their territory.

Cooperation between governments in countries of origin, transit and destination, and among non-governmental organizations, civil society and migrants themselves, is vital for ensuring that international human rights instruments are implemented and that migrants are aware of their rights and obligations. Groups with special needs, including migrant children, female labour migrants in the informal sector, trafficking victims and irregular migrants, as well as refugees.