A/HRC/13/60 awareness on the rights of the migrants and undertaking initiatives to overcome xenophobic attitudes of the local population. 30. The Chief of Development, Economic and Social Issues Branch at OHCHR, Ibrahim Wani, pointed out that States have an obligation to protect the human rights of all individuals within their jurisdiction, including all migrants, irrespective of their status. In the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, States, among other things, highlighted the importance of creating conditions conducive to greater harmony, tolerance and respect between migrants and the rest of society in host countries, recognized that xenophobia against non-nationals, particularly migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, constituted one of the main sources of contemporary racism and, crucially, emphasized that human rights violations against members of such groups were widely perpetrated as a result of discriminatory, xenophobic and racist practices. 31. The panellist noted that in host societies, migrants often faced multiple forms of discrimination. Specific laws, policies and programmes failing to acknowledge the specific needs and vulnerability of migrants might preclude access to adequate housing, health or education. The lack of official status exposed migrants to unfair labour practices and harsh abuse related to the workplace. 32. Mr. Wani stated that failure to protect specifically migrant women fostered an environment where exploitation and violence could go unreported and unpunished. 33. With regard to the link between migration and development, the panellist noted that migrants contributed to economic growth and human development both in home and host countries and enriched societies through cultural diversity, fostering understanding and respect. It was pointed out that supportive policy measures were needed. 34. The speaker emphasized that NHRIs could play an important role in ensuring effective protection of migrants’ human rights. He also highlighted the importance of a human rights approach to migration, in other words, placing human rights standards at the centre of migration considerations and making use of existing human rights mechanisms to protect migrant women, men and children from the human rights violations they suffer at the different stages of the migratory process. 35. A concern was raised with regard to the increasing tendency to criminalize the irregular entry into a country and to use mandatory detention as a punitive measure to discourage irregular migration. Such procedures did not spare migrant children who, in many countries, could be held in prolonged administrative detention without proper justification. Often such detainees had neither the capacity nor the rights to challenge the legality of their detention. 36. A delegate stressed that the vulnerability and specific needs of migrant women and migrant children should receive due attention, including through institutional frameworks and legislative measures. It was noted that migrants’ access to employment, justice, education, health, and housing should be ensured through specific measures. 37. A delegate provided an extensive overview of national migratory policy. It was stressed that the national measures aimed to facilitate the residence of migrants, irrespective of their status, to promote their integration and equal access to public services and goods, to facilitate the reunification of migrants’ families and to facilitate the legalization of status, among others. The participant emphasized that it was important that Governments move to design and implement realistic policies. 38. Several delegates noted that migration was not only South-to-North, and that more people were migrating from South-to-South and North-to-North. It was also pointed out that the full scope of understanding of migration was somehow incomplete, due to the lack of figures. GE.10-10828 7