Gyeonggi Province Launches Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Protection Committee... Strengthening Response System for Migrant Human Rights Violations

On April 17, Gyeonggi Province held the appointment ceremony and the first meeting of the "Gyeonggi Province Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Protection Committee" at the Uijeongbu Northern Office Building and launched a consultative body to promote policies for protecting the human rights of migrants.

Gyeonggi Province held the appointment ceremony and the first meeting of the 'Gyeonggi Province Committee for the Prohibition of Racial Discrimination and the Protection of Human Rights' at the Uijeongbu Northern Government Building on the 17th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

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Recently, incidents of human rights violations, such as the air gun spraying incident targeting foreign workers, have occurred, leading to calls for greater efforts to eliminate discrimination against migrants and strengthen human rights protections.

In response, Gyeonggi Province formed this committee to enhance the effectiveness of its policies, based on the "Three Major Ordinances for Migrant Human Rights Protection" enacted last year for the first time in the country: ▲Prohibition of racial discrimination ▲Protection of refugee rights ▲Support for undocumented foreign children.

The committee consists of 15 members, including provincial assembly members, migrants, experts, and civil society representatives. It is responsible for deliberating and advising on major policies, such as establishing and evaluating the basic plan for anti-discrimination and human rights protection, utilizing the results of fact-finding surveys, investigating discrimination cases and recommending corrective measures, and preparing protection and support measures for victims.

Along with operating the committee, the province plans to build a one-stop support system that links counseling for victims of discrimination with mediation and relief, and to expand field-focused support systems by strengthening legal assistance for wage arrears, residency, and other issues.

In addition, the province plans to develop educational programs and promotional content for residents to prevent racial discrimination and hate, while simultaneously conducting fact-finding surveys and establishing basic plans regarding racial discrimination and human rights violations to continuously strengthen the policy foundation.

Kim Dae-soon, Second Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said, "As interest and the need for protecting migrants' human rights increases, we will establish a systematic foundation for human rights protection, including preparing an anti-discrimination response manual centered on the committee," adding, "We will build an inclusive local community without discrimination."

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