Thailand will be reviewed by UN Member States on all its human rights records during its Third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) taking place on 10 November 2021 at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva (39th Session of the UPR Working Group).

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To tell the truth behind #WhatsHappeningInThailand and to guarantee Recommending States make SMART recommendations that will hold the Thai government accountable on its international human rights obligations and will improve the situation on the ground, Manushya Foundation, local community members of the Thai CSOs Coalition for the UPR and the Thai BHR Network, and partner Civil Society Organizations have prepared UPR Advocacy Factsheets addressing the most challenging human rights issues and providing community-led UPR recommendations to be made to the Thai government.

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The UPR Factsheet on Migrant Workers' Rights in Thailand was prepared by Manushya Foundation and Women Workers for Justice Group (WJG) on the basis of their Joint UPR Submission with Thai BHR Network and the Thai CSOs Coalition for the UPR.

 

The UPR Factsheet examines the compliance of Thailand with the recommendations it received during its 2nd UPR cycle in relation to Migrant Workers in Thailand. ​The Thai government received 25 recommendations addressing the protection of vulnerable people, 23 of which it supported and two of which it noted. While the Government has approved all the recommendations, it has failed to implement all of them.

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This factsheet indicates that the current legal developments violate Thailand’s international human rights obligations in regards to Migrant Workers in the following manner:

 

• Migrant workers and their families have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 outbreak yet continue to experience discrimination in receiving government assistance

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• Migrant workers are vulnerable to labour rights violations, as they face barriers to registering themselves and obtaining legal status

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• Migrant workers cannot freely choose their employment

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The UPR Factsheet includes community-led UPR recommendations for Recommending States to use when making their UPR recommendations to the Thai government and ensure their recommendations address the needs of local communities on the ground. It is critical for diplomats to make recommendations that are directly coming from communities to improve the human rights situation on the ground; as communities are experts of their issues: they live with the challenges and they also know the solutions they need to advance their human rights.

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Learn more about our work with UN Human Rights Mechanisms (Click here)