Gyeonggi Province Holds "Policy Forum on Establishing a Human Rights Protection System for Migrants" ... Discusses Institutional Improvements

Gyeonggi Province Holds "Policy Forum on Establishing a Human Rights Protection System for Migrants"
Discussion on Strengthening the "Three Major Ordinances on Human Rights Protection for Migrants"
Exploring the Roles of Central and Local Governments and Ways to Enhance the System

On October 28, Gyeonggi Province held the "Policy Forum on Establishing a Human Rights Protection System for Migrants" in Conference Room 2 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. The forum discussed ways to strengthen the effectiveness of the nation’s first "Three Major Ordinances on Human Rights Protection for Migrants," expand participation by stakeholders, and establish a cooperative framework between the central and local governments.

Kim Daesoon, Deputy Governor for Administration of Gyeonggi Province, is delivering a greeting at the "Policy Forum on Establishing a Human Rights Protection System for Migrants" held in the 2nd Conference Room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 28th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

More than 100 people attended the event, including Park Haecheol and Seo Mihwa, National Assembly members from the Democratic Party of Korea who co-hosted the forum with Gyeonggi Province, Yoon Jongoh and Son Sol, National Assembly members from the Progressive Party, Kim Daesoon, Deputy Governor for Administration of Gyeonggi Province, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly members, officials from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, and foreign residents.

The forum was chaired by Lee Jasmine, Chairperson of the Korea Diversity Research Institute. Professor Seol Donghoon from the Department of Sociology at Jeonbuk National University gave a keynote presentation on "Changes in Korean Immigration Society and the Need to Establish a Human Rights Protection System." Professor Seol stated, "Although Korea is already considered a multicultural and immigrant society, its human rights protection system is still in its early stages. The ordinances enacted by Gyeonggi Province serve as an excellent model for human rights policy and could serve as a reference for nationwide adoption."

The subsequent discussion addressed the roles of the central and local governments, the sustainability of the human rights protection system, and ways to improve policies with a focus on field-based practices.

Choi Seori, Research Fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, emphasized the importance of systematic immigration policy management by the central government and field-oriented integration by local governments. Oh Kyungseok, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Migrant Society Integration Support Center, also stated, "To enhance the effectiveness of Gyeonggi Province's human rights protection ordinances, institutional improvements at the national level and the establishment of metropolitan-level governance are necessary."

Jung Dongjae, Research Fellow at the Korea Institute of Public Administration, cited examples from Europe and OECD countries to highlight the need for human rights-centered governance. Park Dongchan, Director of the Borderline Voice Research Institute, stressed the importance of creating structures that allow migrants to participate directly in the policy-making process.

Based on the discussions at this forum, Gyeonggi Province plans to strengthen the practical effectiveness of its migrant human rights protection policies, build governance by expanding migrant participation, and establish a cooperative framework between the central and local governments.

Kim Daesoon, Deputy Governor for Administration of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Now, we must move beyond enacting ordinances and ensure that they lead to real change. By reflecting today’s discussions in our policies, we will strive to create a community where migrants can live together with respect, not discrimination."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.