CELAC calls for protection of migrants’ rights
QUITO.—
With a call to protect the rights of migrant workers
the Third Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States (CELAC) Meeting on Migration began in the
city of Azogues, southern Ecuador.
"Migrant workers can no longer be
viewed solely as labor, we must ensure their rights,"
stated Ecuadorian deputy minister for Human Mobility,
María Landázuri, at the opening of the two-day event.
According to the deputy minister,
the search for safe migration facilities for
citizens must involve both the governments of the
origin and destination countries and the people in
general.
Landázuri commented that the CELAC
meeting - in which representatives from 33 member
countries of the regional bloc are participating -
aims to share experience and find points of
agreement.
"There are more similarities than
differences, and our ultimate aim is to create
spaces of peace," she stated, adding that the
agreements established in the meeting will be
presented to the UN and CELAC leadership, reported
PL.
According to the Ecuadorian minister,
one of the main challenges CELAC experts will face
will be developing a action plan to protect migrants
and provide them with greater resources, in addition
to addressing the issues of unaccompanied minors and
reuniting families.
According to the agenda, they will
also analyze sub-regional protection and response
mechanisms, migration and development, and the
advances and prospects in this area between the
European Union and CELAC. (PL)
October 23, 2014
