Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista recently led 53 governors, mayors and local government officicials from over 20 countries in signing a commitment to promote and advance the rights, protection and empowerment of migrants and their families.
The signing of the document called the Quezon City Commitment, according to a statement, capped the two-day 3rd Global Mayoral Forum, which the city hosted from September 29 to 30.
The Quezon City Commitment shall serve as a guiding principle for the adoption of developmental policies necessary to enable migrants to become productive members of society, the mayor said in his speech before the forum participants.
As provided under the commitment to action, signatories vowed to collaborate on creation of an enabling and conducive environment for migrants and their families, including implementation of initiatives and actions to ensure that migration is experienced as a positive development phenomenon.
Creating a conducive environment for migrants calls for the provision of financial and technical support, building of appropriate migration and developmental structures and facilities, implementation of programs and services and enactment of policies for migrants.
Toward this end, Bautista and Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City (Albay) had proposed the creation of an Informal Working Group (IWG) among the mayors for the purpose of developing a blueprint for local governments on Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC)
“What we are doing is start forming our own working group focusing on Asean migration concerns. Then we can be part of the larger working group that will involve all the mayors here present and others who are also selected to come up with guidelines for universal application,” the QC mayor said.
The creation of these working groups, he added, is necessary to help discuss problems, challenges and solutions more extensively, and see what parallels can be drawn from each relative to their respective experiences, perspectives and good practices. 3 October 2016
Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/qc-mayor-leads-oath-signing-on-migrants-rights/289260/
