UNFPA Background Guide - National Model United Nations

UNFPA and IOM to further programming with stakeholders in Ghana. 373 The results and the support of the
international community and IOM helped to set up the Migration Unit in 2008; the Unit is now supporting the
Ghanaian government in its efforts to integrate migration into the national development framework. 374
Conclusion
Migration not only affects migrants themselves, but also their families and the societies of their home countries and
countries of destination. While the efforts to put migration into a broader development context have increased, many
challenges remain. 375 Human rights of migrants are still too often violated in countries of destination, where women
face an even greater risk to be victims of human rights violations. 376 It is also necessary to be aware of the fact that
migration is interlinked to a number of other issues, among them family planning, economic development, gender
equality, and human rights. 377 If migration shall benefit societies, governments of countries of destination and origin
must establish legal frameworks that protect migrants’ rights and help them integrate in a new society. This also
includes training for government workers to respect these laws. 378 Important questions for delegates of UNFPA
include: what contribution, training, and guidance can UNFPA provide to improve the human rights situations of
migrants in countries of destination? How can migration and return migration, be made easier for migrants, and how
can data collection and best practice examples lead to common strategies for countries to handle return flows?
Female migrants continue to play an increasingly pivotal role. What can be done to strengthen the role of female
migrants in economic and social development? 379 How can UNFPA support governments to meet this growing need
for education and training in home countries to provide young people with an alternative to migration? What actions
can the international community take in the face of economic crises and demographic changes to better mainstream
migration into development planning? International migration is a multilayered topic that States cannot address
individually. Only by working together can the international community make use of the benefits of migration and
ensure that migrants, in fact, find the better life they are seeking.
Annotated Bibliography
Global Migration Group. (2008). International Migration and Human Rights. Challenges and Opportunities on the
Threshold of the 60 th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved 30 June 2013 from:
http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/2010/int_migration_human_rights.pdf
This publication does not only deal with the human rights’ perspective on migration in general, it
provides a comprehensive collection of issues interlinked between migration and development
including the sub-topics of the Background Guide. In addition, the publication explains which UN
bodies, IGOs, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working together on what fields
as well as what has been accomplished through this cooperation. This may help delegates to
understand the mandate of their own committee in contrast to other committees. Furthermore, the
bibliography of the publication is an important resource for delegates’ further research on the
topic, which will be of enormous help for delegates when preparing for the conference.
International Organization for Migration. (2013). International Organization for Migration: Home [Website].
Retrieved 19 July 2013 from: http://www.iom.int/cms/home
This website entails many information and resources on migration. It is a good starting point to
get detailed information on international cooperation in the fields of migration. As mentioned in
the Background Guide, UNFPA, as a member of the International Organization for Migration, is
closely working together with the organization on various issues. The website will be immensely
helpful for delegates to get first information on migration activities and policies today and will
provide delegates with many resources related to this topic, such as UN resolutions and reports
373
EC-UN Joint Migration & Development Initiative, Study into Female Cross-Border Migration in Ghana [Website], 2006.
374
Ghana, Migration Unit [Website], 2013.
375
World Economic Forum, Global Agenda Council on Migration 2012-2014, p. 5.
376
UNFPA, State of the World Population 2006, 2006, p. 4.
377
UN General Assembly, Summary of the High-level-Dialogue on International Migration and Development: Note by the
President of the General Assembly (A/61/515), 2006, p. 2.
378
UNFPA, Female Migrants: Bridging the Gaps throughout the Life Cycle, 2006, p. 8.
379
Ibid., p. 16.
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