Abstract

The present document consists of an overview and discussion of the highlights of the Hemispheric Conference on International Migration: Human Rights and the Trafficking in Persons in the Americas, which was held in Santiago, Chile, from the 20th to the 22th November 2002. The introduction presents the background, objectives and organizational aspects of the meeting and gives an account of the opening ceremony. This is followed by a summary of the presentations and comments, with highlights of each session. Under the highlights, we have included also the statements of participants, especially of government representatives.

The subject matter of the meeting was divided up into the following topics and units: 1. International migration in the Americas; 2. Human rights of migrants. Unit I: Human rights and mobility of persons; Unit II: Gender and age concerns relating to the human rights of migrants; Unit III: Frameworks and programmes for promoting and protecting the human rights of migrants; 3. The trafficking in persons. Unit I: Trafficking in persons and human rights; Unit II: Baseline analysis of the trafficking in persons; Unit III: Prevention and assistance (best practices and future activities), subdivided into Unit III-A and Unit III-B. A summary is included of the main elements expressed at the Conference, bearing in mind the contents of the presentations, commentaries and subsequent discussions. Reference documents are attached as appendices.