International Migrants Day

18 December

"I urge the very many States that have yet to do so to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families. I also call on parties to the Convention to step up their efforts to help realize the rights guaranteed in the Convention. The irregular situation of many international migrants should not deprive them either of their humanity or their rights. Together, let us reaffirm the fundamental principle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 'all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights' ".

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for International Migrants Day
18 December 2010

Timorese internally displaced persons being relocated from Jardim Bordia to the district of Ermera with transportation from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which provided the vehicle seen here. UN Photo/Martine Perr On 4 December 2000, the UN General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day. On 18 December 1990, the General Assembly had adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

UN Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are invited to observe International Migrants Day through the dissemination of information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, and through the sharing of experiences and the design of actions to ensure their protection.

The 132 Member States that participated in the General Assembly's High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development on 14-15 September 2006 reaffirmed a number of key messages. First, they underscored that international migration was a growing phenomenon and that it could make a positive contribution to development in countries of origin and countries of destination provided it was supported by the right policies. Secondly, they emphasized that respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all migrants was essential to reap the benefits of international migration. Thirdly, they recognized the importance of strengthening international cooperation on international migration bilaterally, regionally and globally.

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