16 December 1981

Measures to improve the situation and ensure the human rights and dignity of all migrant workers

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming the permanent validity of the principles and standards embodied in the basic instruments regarding the international protection of human rights, in particular in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenants of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,

Taking into account the principles and standards established within the framework of the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the importance of the task carried out in connexion with migrant workers and their families in other specialized agencies and in various organs of the United Nations,

Reiterating that, in spite of the existence of a body of principles and standards already established, there is need to make further efforts to improve the situation and ensure the human rights and dignity of all migrant workers and their families,

Recalling its resolution 34/172 of 17 December 1979, in which it decided to establish an open-ended Working Group to elaborate an international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their families,

Recalling also its resolution 35/198 of 15 December 1980, in which it renewed the mandate of the open-ended Working Group and requested it to continue its work,

Having examined the progress made by the open-ended Working Group during its intersessional meeting held from 11 to 22 May 1981 and the contributions of various Governments,

Having also considered the report of the open-ended Working Group during the current session of the General Assembly,

1. Takes note of the report of the open-ended Working Group and expresses its satisfaction with the substantial progress that the Working Group has so far made in the accomplishment of its mandate;

2. Decides that, in order to enable the Working Group to complete its task as soon as possible, the Working Group shall hold again an intersessional meeting of two weeks duration in New York, in May 1982, immediately after the first regular session of the Economic and Social Council;

3. Invites the Secretary-General to transmit to Governments the report of the Working Group so as to allow the members of the Working Group to continue its task during the intersessional meeting to be held in May 1982, as well as to transmit the results obtained in this meeting in order that the General Assembly may consider them during its thirty-seventh session;

4. Invites also the Secretary-General to transmit the above-mentioned documents to the competent organs of the United Nations system and to international organizations concerned for their information, so as to enable them to continue their co-operation with the Working Group;

5. Decides that the Working Group shall meet during the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly to continue and, if possible, to complete the elaboration of an international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their families.