21 December 2015 – Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and Other International Organizations in Geneva Ambassador Cecilia B. Rebong called on the private sector to continue to be a partner of the government in protecting the rights and dignity of migrants and migrant workers in countries in crisis.
Speaking before the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) initiative consultation with the private sector, Ambassador Rebong said that it is very important that governments hear “the private sector perspectives and ideas on how we can do better to protect migrants trapped in a country experiencing a sudden crisis.”
“Governments have a lot to learn form the private sector,” she added. She then cited the concept note of the consultation: “Partnerships between governments and the private sector are essential to identifying practical, cost effective, and sustainable ways to better assist and protect migrants and facilitate better outcomes, for them their home, host communities, and for their employers.”
Ambassador Rebong also noted that “the Philippines remains deeply committed and actively engaged in the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants“ and that the safety and protection of our migrant workers in times of crisis a key national concern.”
She added that this commitment “is enshrined in our domestic laws such the Migrant Workers Act and the Philippine Foreign Service Act” as it is also “borne out by the reality that a large number of my compatriots are working and/or residing abroad.”
The Philippine envoy pointed out that at the end of 2014, “there are 9,070,429 Filipinos who are working and/or residing in more than 200 countries… [and] are migrants in countries that are particularly prone to crises.”
Ambassador Rebong shared that the Philippines has established a crisis preparedness and response structure to respond to crisis overseas that adversely affect a large number of Filipino nationals. These preparedness and response structures include the Overseas Preparedness and Response Team and its operations arm, the Rapid Response Team; the institutionalization of mandatory insurance coverage for overseas Filipino workers; the creation of an emergency repatriation fund to cover repatriation of distress Filipinos if their employer is unwilling or not able to do so when it is needed; and the overall readiness of our foreign service personnel to provide 24/7 legal and consular assistance, counseling, shelter, and labor mediation as the need arises.
The Philippine also discussed the MICIC Initiative, which is a government-led initiative which aims to improve the ability of governments and other stakeholders – including employers, recruiters and other private sector actors – to prepare for and respond to crisis situations brought about by natural disaster or conflicts, in order to alleviate suffering and protect the dignity and rights of migrants in countries. The Initiative is co-led by the Philippines and the U.S. and supported by a working group composed of Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and the European Union and by international organizations such as the IOM, serving as the MICIC Secretariat, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for International Migration, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and the Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration.
The MICIC Initiative looks at countries in crisis – meaning conflicts or natural disasters, those that are sufficiently acute to raise the interest and concern of the international community.
The MICIC initiative considers all migrants, all non-nationals who are present in a country when the crisis hits. This includes migrant workers and their families, students, travelers, or business people. END