21/11/2008 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Strasbourg, 21.11.2008 – The Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is organising three consecutive seminars in Geneva on 25 and 26 November 2008 in conjunction with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Tuesday 25 November – Palais des Nations (14, avenue de la Paix, Geneva), Room XII, 9 am to 4 pm:
“Interaction between population decline in Europe, global population growth and migration”
This seminar will bring together parliamentarians, experts and representatives of United Nations agencies to examine the myths and the constraints surrounding population decline in Europe, and migration processes as possible solutions to ageing of the population. It will endeavour to pick out future actions which Council of Europe member states could adopt under their fertility policies.
Wednesday 26 November – Palais des Nations, Room XII, 9 am to 12.30 pm:
“Protracted internal displacement in Europe”
This seminar will take stock of the perspectives and possible solutions for dealing with protracted displacement of persons inside their own countries. Close attention will be paid to the situation of displaced persons in Georgia, in the Caucasus region and in the Balkans. There will be contributions to the debate from Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and Walter Kälin, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on this question.
Wednesday 26 November – Palais Wilson (52, rue des Paquis, Geneva), 3 pm to 5.30 pm:
“Rights of all migrant workers and members of their families”
A third seminar will address the issue of protecting the rights of migrant workers and their families, and schedules an exchange of views with the members of the relevant UNHCR Committee of Experts. Participants will make a special examination of prospects for implementing the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in the member states of the Council of Europe.
All three seminars are open to the press.
Contact:
PACE Communication Unit, Nathalie Bargellini, tel. +33 (0)6 65 40 32 82 or +33 (0)3 88 41 22 82