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| Representatives from 11 South American
countries participate in conference on migration. |
Represenatatives from 11 South
American countries, participating in a conference on immigration,
expressed concern over human rights issues affecting citizens
migrating into and out of their countries.
The two-day conference, at
the Radisson Victoria Plaza Hotel, was organized by the
Uruguayan government to define and coordinate regional strategies
and programs on immigration issues, consolidate and develop
the South American Immigration Observatory, coordinate immigration
information systems, immigration management and South American
legislation on immigration.
The issue is important to
the United States because of Latin America's close physical
proximity, and because migration issues in the region have
always been a major concern for U.S. national security and
interests.
At the opening of the conference
on Thursday (Nov. 6) the representative from Ecuador, who
had presided over the last meeting in Ecuador, turned the
meeting over to Ambassador Pablo Sader, director general
of political affiars in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in Uruguay.
Sader, along with Brunson
McKinley, director general of the International Organization
of Migration, and Didier Opertti, minister of foreign affairs,
thanked the United States for its contribution of U$S 70,000
to organize the conference.
Besides Uruguay, other participating
countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela.
Most of the representatives
spoke of their concerns for their citizens's human rights
in other countries, in particular in their access to employment,
health care, and educational opportunities.
The United States is participating,
as an observer, along with representatives from Australia,
Canada, Spain, Italy, Japan and Sweden. Various international
and regional organizations have also been invited as observers.
