Migration, Human Rights and Inclusion: Assessing the Role of Civil Society in the OSCE Region
When
Where
Organized by
This conference aims to enhance dialogue between civil society organizations (CSOs) working on migration and refugee issues and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). It will assess the current situation from the perspective of civil society actors and identify key opportunities and ways to address existing and future challenges related to migration and human rights in the OSCE area.
Context and topics
CSOs have been at the forefront of responding to emergencies linked to rapid increases in migration and refugee flows and play an essential role in monitoring human rights violations at international borders, including trafficking in human beings. CSOs are facilitating social inclusion and long-term integration of migrants and refugees and try to shape narratives about migration towards a more balanced and constructive discourse.
Other challenges include national migration management systems’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic that restricted human mobility and the increased intolerance towards migrants and refugees that has become more salient during the pandemic. CSOs stand up for the most vulnerable groups, such as migrant women, or when calling out hostility towards certain religious groups or Roma refugees, which are frequently left without access to basic rights and services in many countries. At the same time, increasing criminalization of humanitarian assistance to migrants has made the work of many CSOs more challenging and even dangerous.
This conference will allow for sharing experiences, good practices, innovations and synergies in response to these and other challenges among CSOs and other human rights actors, including national human rights institutions, international organizations and governmental representatives from OSCE countries. The event will provide a space to discuss ways of improving cooperation and coordination between CSOs, ODIHR and the other stakeholders.
Outcome
Based on these discussions, ODIHR will prepare a brief report with key messages and recommendations, identifying ways to facilitate collaboration on migration issues, including responses to emergency situations.
Participation
The event is by invitation only.