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Third
Summit: Quebec (2001)
Declaration of
Quebec City
We recognize the cultural and economic contributions made by
migrants to receiving societies as well as to their
communities of origin. We are committed to ensuring
dignified, humane treatment with appropriate legal
protections, defense of human rights, and safe and healthy
labor conditions for migrants. We will strengthen mechanisms
for hemispheric cooperation to address the legitimate needs
of migrants and take effective measures against trafficking
in human beings.
Plan of Action
Implementation of International Obligations and Respect
for International Standards
Consider signing and ratifying, ratifying, or acceding to,
as soon as possible and as the case may be, all universal
and hemispheric human rights instruments, take concrete
measures at the national level to promote and strengthen
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of all
persons, including women, children, the elderly, indigenous
peoples, migrants, returning citizens, persons with
disabilities, and those belonging to other vulnerable or
discriminated groups, and note that the use of the term
“peoples” in this document cannot be construed as having any
implications as to the rights that attach to the term under
international law and that the rights associated with the
term “indigenous peoples” have a context-specific meaning
that is appropriately determined in the multilateral
negotiations of the texts of declarations that specifically
deal with such rights;
Migration
Reaffirming the commitments made in 1998 at the Santiago
Summit concerning the protection of the human rights of
migrants, including migrant workers and their families:
Strengthen cooperation among states to address, with a
comprehensive, objective and long-term focus, the
manifestations, origins and effects of migration in the
region;
Promote recognition of the value of close cooperation among
countries of origin, transit and destination in order to
ensure protection of the human rights of migrants;
Establish an inter-American program within the OAS for the
promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants,
including migrant workers and their families, taking into
account the activities of the IACHR and supporting the work
of the IACHR Special Rapporteur on Migrant Workers and the
UN Special Rapporteur on Migration;
Commit to undertake the widest possible cooperation and
exchange of information among states concerning illegal
trafficking networks, including developing preventative
campaigns on the dangers and risks faced by migrants,
particularly women and children who often can be victims of
such trafficking, with a view to eradicating this crime;
Establish linkages with subregional processes, such as the
Regional Conference on Migration and the South American
Conference on Migration, which are dialogue fora, in order
to exchange information on the migration phenomenon, as well
as promote cooperation with specialized international
organizations, such as the International Organization of
Migration (IOM), in order to advance and coordinate
implementation efforts of Summit mandates;
11. LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Recognizing that employment is the most direct way in which
economic activity is linked to the improvement of the
standard of living of our citizens and that true prosperity
can only be achieved if it includes protecting and
respecting basic rights of workers as well as promoting
equal employment opportunities and improving working
conditions for people in all countries in the region, with
special attention to those in the informal sector, to people
belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, other
vulnerable persons including women, youth, indigenous,
migrant workers, persons with disabilities and persons with
HIV/AIDS; and noting the importance of investing in human
resource development, of promoting employment security
consistent with economic growth and developing mechanisms to
assist workers with periods of unemployment, as well as of
strengthening cooperation and social dialogue on labor
matters among workers, their organizations, employers and
governments:
Migration
Recognizing the positive aspects and benefits of orderly
migration in countries of origin, transit and destination as
a factor contributing to economic growth and national and
regional development:
Support initiatives designed to strengthen linkages among
migrant communities abroad and their places of origin and
promote cooperative mechanisms that simplify and speed up
the transfer of migrant remittances and substantially reduce
the costs of sending them;
Support voluntary initiatives designed by communities or
individuals for the use of funds in investment and
productive projects benefiting the general welfare in
communities of origin;
Promote the discussion of the migration phenomenon at the
hemispheric level with due regard for its multi-dimensional
nature and regional differences and, in so doing, consider
the inclusion of the topic of migration in discussions on
trade and economic integration;
Support programs of cooperation in immigration procedures
for cross border labor markets and the migration of workers,
both in countries of origin and destination, as a means to
enhance economic growth in full cognizance of the role that
cooperation in education and training can play in mitigating
any adverse consequences of the movement of human capital
from smaller and less developed states;
Strive to ensure that migrants have access to basic social
services, consistent with each country's internal legal
framework;
Create and harmonize statistical information systems and
foster the sharing of information and best practices through
the use of new information and communications technologies,
with the aim of promoting the modernization of migration
management; |
