By conducting a role-play, students will be introduced to the legal instrument known as a Convention. In particular, they will be introduced to the UN Convention on Migrant Workers and their Families. Once a country has ratified the Convention, it has made a commitment to abide by the principles of the Convention and to be bound to it by law. Students will discover that there is much debate on the usefulness of this strategy and which countries are for and against its implementation.

Process

1. Explain that it took 13 years for 20 countries to ratify the international agreement. To become international law, at least twenty countries needed to ratify the Convention (promise to incorporate it into its national laws).

2. As of 2003, the following 37 countries have signed the Convention: Azerbaijan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kyrgystan, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay.

3. Ask students to determine the geographic region and location of the countries that have signed and ratified the Convention on the world map.

4. As students to review their Student Handout: Myths and Reality about Obstacles to Ratification. For more information about the Convention, also refer to the Handout: Facts about the UN Convention for Migrant Workers' and their Families (see sidebars).

5. In groups of three, each group advocates for or against ratification depending on whether they represent a migrant-sending or receiving country and whether or not their country has already ratified the Convention.

6. Each group role-plays one of the scenarios below in front of the class.

Students can research additional information about countries and their migration situation by consulting: International Migration Profiles by "country" or "area"

You may choose to assign groups specific arguments or countries to ensure each role-play is slightly different.

Scenarios

Scenario 1:
An NGO representative has requested a meeting with a government employee and a Parliamentarian to discuss Canada's lack of ratification of the Migration Convention. The NGO representative would like to convince the Canadian government to change its mind.

Scenario 2:
A migrant-sending country that has signed the Convention (choose among list provided) tries to convince a migrant-receiving country (choose a country in Europe or North America) to ratify the Convention.

Scenario 3:
A migrant-sending country that has signed the Convention (choose among list provided) tries to convince another migrant-sending country (choose among India, Japan, Australia or a country in the Gulf States) to ratify the Convention.

Extension

Re-do the role-play with students taking on a different role than previously.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think that only migrant-sending countries have signed the Convention?

• Why is it important for migrant-receiving countries to sign the Convention?

• Do you think the Convention will make a difference in promoting migrant rights and development?

• What has Canada's position been so far?

Resources

• International Migration Profiles by Major Area, Region and Special group

• International Migration Profiles by Country or Area

• Information Kit on the UN Convention on Migrants Rights

• Global Campaign for Ratification of the Convention on Rights of Migrants

• Text of the Convention on Migrant Rights