International Day of Migrants: 18 December

Since 2000 the 18th of December has been designated officially by the UN as International Migrants? Day.
The idea of a day of celebration was started in 1997 by Filipino and other Asian migrant organizations: they began promoting the 18th December as the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants because on this day in 1990 the UN adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families.

The UN proclamation of the International Migrants' Day is an important step, offering a rallying point for everyone across the world who is concerned with the protection of migrants. The UN invites all UN member states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to observe this day by disseminating information on human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, sharing experiences, and undertaking action to ensure the protection of migrants.

Radio 1812 is one of the wider initiatives, led by December 18 the International Advocacy and Resource Centre on the Human Rights of Migrant Workers. It is a global event dedicated to International Migrants Day, producing and broadcasting programmers from radios worldwide.To find out more about Radio 1812 and the events all over the world visit www.radio1812.net

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has released a message:
?The International Migrants Day is an occasion that grows more meaningful with each passing year. Currently, there are more people living outside their countries of birth than ever before, an estimated 200 million in 2007.
?Behind this vast figure are individual stories — of the skilled computer engineer, the farmer working illegally, the woman trafficked against her will, the refugee forced to flee home, and countless others. Although their stories are diverse, when we consider migrants as a group it becomes clear that they should not and must not be seen as a burden.
Migrants are often driven by the aspiration for a better life?Unfortunately, they rarely receive recognition for their contributions. Instead, they often contend with abuses and discrimination ranging from the absence of protection mechanisms to discriminatory national legislation. In extreme cases, they are victims of racist or xenophobic attacks.

?Many important safeguards are contained in the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, but to date it has been ratified by only 37 countries. I urge all Member States who have not yet ratified or acceded to the Convention to do so as soon as possible as a way to ensure the full and effective protection of the human rights of migrants?On this International Migrants Day, let us replace discrimination with understanding, to benefit not just migrants but also communities and countries around the world.?
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sgsm11335.doc.htm