Philippines Champions “Win Win Win” Migration Governance at First Session of 2024 International Dialogue on Migration

Undersecretary de Vega delivers his intervention in Panel 2: Innovative Policy Solutions for Regular Pathways

NEW YORK 30 May 2024 – Consistent with the Department's position as the lead agency in migration affairs, the Philippine delegation, led by DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega, attended the First Session of the 2024 International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) with the theme "Facilitating Regular Pathways to a better future: Harnessing the power of migration" held from 21 to 22 May 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.

Undersecretary de Vega delivered his interventions during the panel discussions on "Innovative Policy Solutions for Regular Pathways" and "Strengthening Regular Migration Pathways through Effective Community Engagement and Social Cohesion."

In his statements, Undersecretary de Vega shared significant developments in the country's international migration landscape. They include, among others, the establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers, the launching of the issuance of electronic Apostilles for Philippine certificates of civil registry documents, the collaborative study on Philippine back door exits convened by the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking, and the Department's support in the “Joint Program on Bridging Recruitment to Reintegration in Migration Governance” conducted in the Philippines by the IOM, ILO, and UN Women.

He also acknowledged the contributions of overseas Filipinos in national development, emphasizing continued cultural engagements led by Philippine Embassies and Consulates. He underscored the existing pre-departure services and migrant integration programs of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas to strengthen the diaspora’s ties with the Philippines.

Undersecretary de Vega concluded his statements with the importance of such policy advancements and effective relations with the Filipino communities as means to enhance pathways for migration. He further highlighted that migration is and has always been a reality – one that should not be criminalized and one where governments should strive for a “win win win” for all, not only for their own migrants, but also for their communities in countries of origin, transit, and destination.

The IDM is the principal migration policy dialogue of the International Organization for Migration. As a Champion Country of the Global Compact for Migration, the Philippines is consistent in its participation in the forum as it maintains its commitment to a safe, orderly, and regular migration. END

Undersecretary de Vega delivers his intervention in Panel 3: Strengthening Regular Migration Pathways through Effective Community Engagement and Social Cohesion 

The two-day IDM held at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber, UN Headquarters in New York, USA