Being a major labor exporting country, the Philippines will seek to sustain its contributions in the international movement on migration and development and push for further protection of all Filipino migrant workers in the 13th Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates from January 18-26, 2021.
Under this year’s theme, “The Future of Human Mobility: Innovative Partnerships for Sustainable Development”, the Team Philippines to be led by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will chair the roundtable discussions on new technologies to empower migrants as well as on skilling migrants for employment.
Aside from the DFA, the Philippines will also send participants from the Department of Labor of Employment, Department of Health, National Economic and Development Authority, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva to attend the other thematic roundtable meetings and other side events of the 13th GFMD Summit.
Six roundtable themes have been developed under the 13th GFMD Summit where discussions will center on the following: (i) governance of labor migration in the context of changing employment landscapes; (ii) skilling migrants for employment; (iii) leveraging new technologies to empower migrants; (iv) addressing gaps in migrant protection; (v) discussing approaches to address irregular migration, and (vi) fostering partnerships to realize migration-related goals in the sustainable development agenda.
During the summit, the Philippines will also seek to sustain the country’s role in the negotiation and adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration as a primary United Nations process to protect all Filipino migrant workers against all forms of exploitation and abuse, and guarantee decent work for them.
“The Philippine delegation will also highlight the entire Philippine Government’s mission to provide a safe and comfortable life for all Filipinos anywhere in the world, by ensuring the welfare and protecting the rights of all overseas Filipinos wherever they may be,” the Foreign Affairs office said in a statement.