DUSHANBE, July 29, 2011, Asia-Plus — Extended European Union – Tajikistan civil society seminar on the rights of labor migrants was held in Dushanbe on July26-27.
Organized by the EU Delegation in Tajikistan in cooperation with civil society organizations, the two-day event served as an open forum to examine labor migrants’ rights related issues.
According to the EU Delegation in Tajikistan, the seminar brought together over 70 participants, including 40 representatives from the civil society from all the country, Government officials, international organisations and diplomatic representatives. Representatives from non-governmental organisations dealing with labor migration issues in Russia and Kazakhstan as well as several international experts from the International Labor Organization and International Center for Migration Policy Development also took part at the event.
Participants considered various aspects of labor migration rights, discussing importance of interagency and international cooperation; analyzing main labor migration risks, such as human trafficking; looking at labor migrants support services; discussing problems of training and retraining of labor migrants and problems with the access to health services; as well looking at the issue of women migrants and families left behind.
At the end of the extended seminar, numerous recommendations have been elaborated by the civil society representatives aiming to improve rights of labor migrants. Recommendations will be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and further discussed during the upcoming round of the EU – Tajikistan Human Rights Dialogue which is planned to be organized in October this year.
The EU- Tajikistan civil society seminar is a part of the annual Human Rights Dialogue organized between the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to discuss wide range of issues in the field of human rights. The Dialogue has been introduced since the adoption of “The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership” by the European Council in June 2007 and aims at promoting respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy.
