CIS MPs Agreed Text of Statement on Measures of Legislative Support of Labour Migration During Pandemic

Today, the meeting of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Social Policy and Human Rights took place in the Tavricheskiy Palace – the headquarters of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. The meeting was held via videoconferencing.

The event brought together the representatives of the parliaments of the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as specialists and experts, including the representatives of the Vienna Regional Office of the International Organization for Migration and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, member of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Lena Nazaryan and member of the Committee of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform Aigul Nurkina were elected the Deputy Chairs of the Commission.

Chairman of the Committee for Labour and Employment of St. Petersburg Dmitriy Cherneiko informed the participants of the Fifth St. Petersburg International Labour Forum, which is co-organized by the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly.

The Commission members discussed the draft Joint Statement of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the Vienna Regional Office of the International Organization for Migration and the WHO Regional Office for Europe on Measures of Legislative Support of Labour Migration During the Pandemic.

Chief of Mission in Moscow of the International Organization for Migration Abdusattor Esoev stressed the relevance of the adoption of this document, as the migrants represented one of the most vulnerable groups during the pandemic.

Specialist of the Migration and Health Program of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Joseph Bartovich told the meeting participants that more than 10 percent of the world population were labour migrants and stressed the need to invest in their health and include the migrants into the programs of countering COVID-19.

The MPs decided to agree on the text of the document and to request the IPA CIS Council to include it into the agenda of the next meeting.

The draft Model Law on Ensuring Equal Access to Services on Prevention and Treatment of HIV Infection in the CIS Member Nations was presented by Public Health Coordinator in the European Region of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Davron Mukhamadiyev. Acting IFRC Representative in Russia, Belarus and Moldova Alexander Mordovin stressed that the adoption of the document would contribute to increase the trust of HIV patients in the public health care systems.

The abovementioned Model Law and the Model Law on Organ Donation were approved to be submitted for consideration at the next plenary session.

The Commission also discussed the Model Recommendations on Legislative Support of Protection of Workers' Claims in Case of Insolvency (Bankruptcy) of Enterprises” and draft concepts of Model Laws on Social Advertising and Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and on Digital Health Care.

The meeting closed with the information on the preparation for the international conference “Universal Health Coverage and SDGs”, which is expected to be co-organized by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in November 2021.