PHL joining forum on migrant workers sponsored by UAE
THE Philippines will be joining the 13th Global Forum on Migration and Development, which will tackle new technologies and upskilling of migrant workers, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola and Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Robert E.A. Borje will each chair roundtable discussions — on leveraging new technology to empower migrants and upskilling migrants to make them more competitive, respectively.
The virtual summit, hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be held between Jan. 18 and 26 and will center on topics related to the future of human mobility.
“Team Philippines’ participation in the summit seeks to sustain the country’s major contributions in the international debate on migration and development,” the department said in a statement late Wednesday.
The summit will center on six roundtable themes, including labor migration governance, gaps in migrant protection, approaches to irregular migration and the potential for partnerships in realizing migration-related goals.
The Philippine government’s participation in the summit will help bring forward the Philippine agenda for the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
“The Philippine delegation will also highlight the entire Philippine government’s mission to provide a safe and comfortable life for all Filipinos anywhere in the world, by ensuring the welfare and protecting the rights of all overseas Filipinos wherever they may be,” the DFA added.
The Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that there were 2.2 million overseas Filipinos in 2019.
Philippine delegates include representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Health, National Economic and Development Authority, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Also among the attendees are participants from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
