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Prepared by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights |
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From August 28 to September 8 of 2001, over fifteen thousand people from around the world joined together in Durban, South Africa for the UN World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia, and Related Forms of Intolerance (WCAR). This conference, the third of such international gatherings dedicated to the question of racism, opened a critical forum for global discussion and action by community leaders, advocates and governments. The conference aimed to identify and propose concrete solutions to multiple forms of contemporary racism and discrimination that would result in a shared, global agenda. The importance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in proceedings such as the World Conference quickly became apparent as governments often avoided their full responsibility in implementing solutions to racism, xenophobia, and intolerance. As NGOs lobbied government representatives to commit to strong language and action, they provided a critical voice for interests of communities world wide. While the final documents left much to be hoped for from the perspective of NGOs, it remains clear that these documents will become useful instruments and gains for all that face discrimination, and will be useful as potential organizing tools, particularly in cases where state policies perpetrate abuses. Yet NGOs at the World Conference did much more than simply lobby government representatives around the final documents. As the conference became a site for community leaders, activists, and advocates to bring attention to the many and diverse struggles faced by communities, NGO representatives shared lessons, strategies, support and energy to envision a new world. Migrant Rights are Human Rights As many participants observed, the WCAR emerged as an exciting moment for the work of protecting migrant and refugee rights. Much of this success is due to the work of the Migrant and Refugee Caucus, made up of over seventy NGOs from around the world. From the early planning stages and participation in Preparatory Committee meetings (PrepComs), to the final days of the World Conference, the Migrant and Refugee Caucus worked collaboratively as it reviewed documents and lobbied government representatives. This was the first instance where caucuses for refugees and migrants worked collaboratively in lobbying efforts-a relationship that will continue in the future. The work of the Migrant and Refugee Caucus resulted in the inclusion of over forty-five paragraphs that referenced migrants, refugees, internally displaced people, and asylum seekers. No other international conference document exists that contains this range of analysis and recommendations on migrant and refugee rights. More significant, however, is the consensus, cooperation, and communication among migrant and refugee rights organizations that emerged in Durban that continues to grow. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 that closely followed the events of the World Conference changed our world, leaving little time to reflect upon the achievements of the conference. Yet the lessons and tools gained in Durban have become increasingly valuable as we witness a rise in global racism and xenophobia after September 11. Indeed, the proceedings and controversies of the conference highlighted, even foreshadowed many human rights abuses as well as the repercussions of today’s military conflicts. While governments such as the United States pointed to issues such as Palestinian self-determination and reparations for trans-Atlantic slavery as an excuse to bow out of its international obligations at the conference, these issues remain unresolved, haunting us all. As xenophobia against immigrants and refugees grows to a global backlash in this new period, so does the value of the forward-looking solutions to the vulnerabilities of migrant and refugee communities achieved at the conference. A World on the Move A World On the Move is both a report that summarizes the preparation and the proceedings of the World Conference Against Racism and Xenophobia, as well as a resource guide to build upon the work achieved at Durban to support the rights of migrants and refugees. The first section of this publication recounts the experiences of the Immigrant Rights Working Group, a body of over twenty-five immigrant and refugee rights community organizations in the U.S., as it prepared for and participated in the World Conference. By recounting our process to prepare for the conference, as well as the lessons we learned, we hope to share our experience with others who may participate in future world forums. This section also highlights the perspectives of international migrant and refugee rights and U.S. based activists working towards a shared vision of racial justice and human rights at the World Conference. The second section of this publication serves as a guide for communities and organizations that wish to build upon the accomplishments of the World Conference in support of immigrant and refugee rights. This section also highlights resources and tips for groups who want to use an international human rights framework in education, community organizing, and advocacy efforts. As international agreements such as the Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families gain increasing recognition, local efforts based on human rights principles becomes even more significant. The National Network for Immigrant Rights convened the Immigrant Rights Working Group a year before the World Conference to bring local immigrant and refugee rights organizations together with an emerging global movement for the human rights of migrants and refugees. For many involved in the Immigrant Rights Working Group, the World Conference was an introduction to bringing local struggles and concerns to an international arena. It is our hope that this report and resource guide will be used by community organizations and other non-government organizations to fight the many forms of discrimination and racism our communities face here in the U.S. and around the world. We wish that the lessons that we learned as we prepared for and participated in the NGO Forum and the World Conference will be useful for others who wish to build a global fight for migrant and refugee rights, and to advocate for the human rights of all people. --Eunice
Cho is the World Conference Project Associate for the National Network
for Immigrant and Refugee Rights |
