Team Philippines to Join Virtual Global Forum on Migration and Development
13 January 2021 – The Philippines will officially participate in the 13th Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) hosted by the United Arab Emirates from 18-26 January 2021 with the overarching title “The Future of Human Mobility: Innovative Partnerships for Sustainable Development”. Team Philippines’ participation in the summit seeks to sustain country’s major contributions in the international debate on migration and development.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, through Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola, shall chair the roundtable discussions on leveraging new technologies to empower migrants. Likewise, the Office of the President, through Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Robert E.A. Borje, will lead the discussions of the roundtable on skilling migrants for employment.
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.
Under GFMD Summit’s title, six roundtable themes have been developed which are intended to direct the conversation on global migration and development that is future-focused and partnership-oriented: (i) the 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.
Through the 13th GFMD Summit, Team Philippines seeks to sustain country’s major contributions in the international movement on migration and development, including the country’s role in the negotiation and adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration as a primary UN 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.
More information on the schedules of meetings of the 13th GFMD Summit are available in https://www.gfmd.org/. END