UN SLAVERY EXPERT HERE TO MEET MIGRANTS
By Jerome Aning

Inquirer.net
19:37:00 10/22/2008
Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Militant migrants’ groups welcomed Wednesday
the arrival in Manila of Gulnara Shahinian, United Nations special
rapporteur for contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and
consequences.

Shahinian, an Armenian, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport around 4:30 p.m. on an Emirates Airlines flight. She declined
to speak to reporters as she was tired from her flight, having been
stranded for eight hours in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Shahinian and Jorge Bustamante, UN special rapporteur for human
rights of migrants, who will arrive in Manila on Thursday, will hold
a joint regional consultation with migrant organizations, including
the International Migrants Alliance.

The UN envoy was welcomed by International Migrants Alliance chair
Eni Lestari and secretary general Connie Bragas-Regalado, Anakpawis
(Toiling Masses) Representative Rafael Mariano and officials of
Gabriela and Migrante International.

"We are very eager to share our experiences and views with Ms Shahinian
on how migrant workers, particularly domestic workers, are now the
slaves of modern times," Lestari said.

Regalado, also the Migrante chair, said the IMA would submit to
Shahinian various cases representing "the general trend of oppression,
abuse and desperation" that migrants experience in host countries.

Shahinian served as an expert in trafficking for the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe and consultant to the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime. She was elected to several anti-human trafficking
bodies in the UN before being appointed special rapporteur in March
2008.

The IMA is sponsoring the International Assembly for Migrants and
Refugees that would be parallel with the 2nd Global Forum on Migration
and Development hosted by the Philippine government on October 28
and 29.