Objective 14: Enhance consular protection, assistance and cooperation throughout the migration cycle

This policy brief provides information and identifies a number of key recommendations to assist governments and other stakeholders in designing COVID-19 policy responses that can help to ensure the protection of migrant workers, as well as to inform responses for the protection of refugees and those displaced working in countries other than their own, differentiated by gender as appropriate and based upon relevant international labour standards, and ILO guidance and good practices.

Adopted by China’s State Council in late June 2023, the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Consulate Protection and Assistance took effect on September 1. 

The Regulations consist of 27 articles, mainly specifying the responsibilities of various parties (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), diplomatic institutions abroad, relevant departments of the State Council, and local governments) in providing consular protection and assistance, including guidance and coordination, safety prevention, and support.

Established by the UN Network on Migration in May 2019, the Fund is governed by a diverse and inclusive Steering Committee and administered by the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office.

Committed to safe, orderly, and regular migration, the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund supports the adoption and implementation of the Global Compact for Migration to encourage the uptake of migration approaches that benefit communities of origin, transit, and destination, as well as migrants. 

SEFIME is a government initiative that seeks to bring financial programs and services to the Mexican diaspora through the Mexican Consular Network in the USA, Canada, Latin America and Europe.
SEFIME offers workshops, training, talks, counseling, among others, on topics related to financial education and inclusion aimed at the Mexican community living abroad, in order to strengthen the tools they have related to the planning and management of their resources.

As part of the initiatives promoted by the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) in the area of economic development and entrepreneurship, the Consular Entrepreneurship Program for Mexican Women Abroad (PCEME) has been promoted in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate in Phoenix and the Thunderbird School of Business at the University of Arizona, which aims to train and provide tools to women entrepreneurs to create and strengthen a business abroad.

China's State Council proposed expediting legislation on the protection of the rights and interests of overseas Chinese in its report submitted to the country's top legislature for review.

A national law dedicated to the protection of the rights and interests of overseas Chinese has yet to be put into place, according to the report on the work related to Chinese nationals overseas, which is under deliberation at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

While the country does host a significant foreign-born community within its archipelago, the Philippines identifies itself as a country of origin, with approximately 10 million Filipinos Overseas who still call the Philippines home. It is for their protection, rights, and welfare, that the Philippine Government has emerged over the last 4 decades as a champion for global governance for the protection of migrants.

Established in 2006, the NGO Committee on Migration is a committee of non-governmental organisations, which has consultative status with the ECOSOC. The Committee brings together over 50 NGOs who seek to realize justice for migrants, refugees, stateless persons, internally displaced persons, and trafficked persons. 

In Morocco, national consultations were held in September 2017 with civil society and diaspora representivatives, scholars and researchers, represensatives of the private sector and public institutions. These national consultations have enabled Morocco to come with a consolidated contribution to the Global Compact, the "Recommendations of the Kingdom of Morocco on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration."

The Government of Honduras has created the programme Honduras 2020 Scholarship Programme linking young temporary migrants to the country's growth in order to promote temporary migration as a contribution to the sustainable development.

Consular representations of Honduras carry out various outreach activities with migrants and diaspora communities to promote Honduras' cultural tradition abroad.