Washington, DC - On June 10, 2016, under the leadership of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines, the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC) Initiative published the “Global Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster.”
The initiative was co-led by the United States and the Republic of the Philippines and, recognizing that no country is immune to conflict or natural disaster, publication of the guidelines follows two years of consultations with governments in all regions of the world and with a wide range of private sector employers, civil society, diaspora and migrant organizations. Expert input and promising practices were incorporated into this set of Guidelines that promote the principles of saving lives, call for migrants to get assistance in emergencies without discrimination, and foster respect for the human rights of migrants, regardless of immigration status.
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines will formally launch the Guidelines at the United Nations (UN) in New York on June 15 and in Geneva on June 28. The MICIC Initiative is supported by a working group of representatives. In addition to the United States and the Philippines, other group members represented Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for International Migration, the International Center for Migration Policy Development, and Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration.