Panel discussion on promoting tolerance, dispelling myths, protecting rights, 15 December 2015

On the occasion of Human Rights Day and International Migrants’ Day 2015, OHCHR organized a panel discussion on the theme of “Promoting tolerance, dispelling myths, protecting rights: an evidence-based conversation on migration”.

The panel discussion was opened by the High Commissioner and included the participation of Volker Turk, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Miltos Pavlou, from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and domestic workers, asylum seekers and refugees from the Philippines, Bolivia, Afghanistan and Sudan.

OHCHR screened its short documentary film I Am Not Here, on migrant domestic workers in an irregular situation and produced migrant stories from the event to highlight the experiences of migrants.

Migrants dispelling the myths

Migrants – “We are not criminals”

More than 150 participants attended the event, including representatives from Members States, UN agencies, NGOs, migrant associations, and migrants themselves. The discussion was broadcasted live on UN Web TV and is available at the following link.

Statements

• Opening statement, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Eladet Arcade, Filipina migrant domestic worker
• Gulwali Passarlay, Afghan refugee, author of The Lightless Sky
• Silvia Mariño, Bolivian migrant domestic worker
• Mohammad Jadallah, Sudanese asylum-seeker, journalist