International Conference on Human Rights of Migrants
and Multicultural Society
Dignity and Justice for All Migrants
Seoul, Korea
10–12 November 2008
Seoul Statement
The International Conference on Human Rights of Migrants and Multicultural
Society–Dignity and Justice for All Migrants held in Seoul, Korea, 10-12 November
2008, was organized by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK)
in consultation with the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of National
Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the Asia Pacific
Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in commemoration of the
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
As 2008 also marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea, the
NHRCK is proud to have had this opportunity to bring together the participants at this
special time. The Conference was devoted to the exchange of information,
experiences, and good practices related to the promotion and protection of the rights
of migrants in the emerging and established multicultural societies of Asia, including
Korea.
The Conference brought together commissioners and senior staff members of eight
NHRIs in Asia, human rights experts from Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well
representatives from migrant communities and NGOs in Asia. The NHRIs represented
included Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines
and Thailand. The participants held active discussions on issues related to human
rights and multicultural society as those topics relate specifically to migrant issues and
the challenges faced by NHRIs in developing good practices related to these issues.
These discussions took place in a Panel Format organized under the following topics:
International Processes on the Rights of Migrants and NHRIs, Experiences of
Migration and Multicultural Policy, Concepts and Policies on Migration and
Multicultural Society, Migration and Multicultural Policy in Korea, and Practices and
Lessons Learned for NHRIs in Asia. A main outcome of the Conference was the
adoption of the Seoul Guidelines on the Cooperation of NHRIs for the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights of Migrants in Asia.
The key issues identified in the course of the deliberations of the Conference are as
follows:
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