26 May 1983

Welfare of migrant workers and their families

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolutions 1926 (LVII) of 6 May 1975, 1979/12 of 9 May 1979 and 1981/21 of 6 May 1981,

Having taken note of the report of the Secretary-General on pertinent regulations concerning the welfare of migrant workers and their families,

Concerned at the fact that bilateral agreements concluded between labour-employing and labour-supplying countries, as well as national legislative and administrative provisions, do not completely exclude the possibility of practices that discriminate against migrant workers and members of their families, particularly with regard to living conditions and access to national systems of social services,

Conscious of the fact that the social situation of migrant workers and their families has deteriorated as a result of present unfavourable economic trends,

Recognizing the need for further efforts to improve the welfare of migrant workers and their families,

1. Expresses its general agreement with respect to the need for action at the national, regional and international levels to improve the welfare of migrant workers and their families;

2. Reaffirms the need for full implementation of the principle of equal treatment for migrants and their families, in accordance with ratified international agreements, particularly with regard to their living conditions and access to national systems of social services;

3. Affirms the need for concerted action by the Governments of both labour-employing and labour-supplying countries to harmonize existing bilateral and multilateral agreements on migrant workers, to extend the coverage of services and benefits provided for them and their families and to eliminate provisions that are either discriminatory or contradictory;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective co-operation of intergovernmental organizations, specialized agencies and organs of the United Nations system with a view to affirming the rights of migrants and their families and ensuring their full implementation, in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1926 B (LVII);

5. Welcomes the progress made by the Working Group on the Drafting of an International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, established in accordance with General Assembly resolution 34/172 of 17 December 1979;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to use the information received from Member States pursuant to paragraph 2 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/21 to prepare, in co-operation with the specialized agencies and other organizations concerned, a report on the situation of migrant workers and their families in which the needs and problems emerging as a result of the changing conditions of international migration will be fully taken into account, and to submit that report to the Commission for Social Development at its twenty-ninth session.