Mexico and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families

In this text, Heller introduces us to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the first international document to provide specific regulations for the protection of migrant workers throughout the world, regardless of their legal status. Created in December 1990, this instrument aims to combat the many and varied types of discrimination and exploitation that millions of migrant workers are exposed to. The 93 articles of the document are divided into nine sections that regulate global population movements, based on a series of specific circumstances. As of May 2006, 34 countries had joined the Convention and another 14 are expected to ratify their adhesion; those that have ratified their participation to date are considered mainly countries of origin of migrant workers. Despite the efforts that have been undertaken, the author does not foresee countries that receive migrant workers and their families signing the Convention in the short term. In the specific case of Mexico, which has formed part of the Convention since May 1991, Heller underlines the principles governing the conduct of the Mexican government in this area, in view of Mexico’s threefold role as a country of origin, transit and reception of migrant workers, and says that the values of the Convention should be promoted within the framework of the multilateral agenda, and within the regional and individual contexts of the affected countries as well.