Our Campaigns

Civil Society Campaign for Migrant Rights

#Resist #Reclaim #Realise

The Civil Society Campaign for Migrant Rights is a global movement dedicated to ensuring Migrants’ Rights as well as human rights. Despite international pledges, violations of migrant rights are escalating, and the voices of civil society and migrants are often silenced. This campaign is a call to action to reclaim power, demand accountability, and ensure justice for all migrants through immediate and sustainable solutions through three pillars of the movement: #Resist #Reclaim #Realise.

The campaign's core mission is to:

• Enter migrant rights globally, embedding them at the heart of every national and international policy dialogue and ensuring migrants drive development agendas.
• Strengthen unified civil society by amplifying a bold, collective voice against the erosion of civic space.
• Build accountability networks that bind governments, civil society, and migrant communities to uphold human rights commitments.
• Shape future advocacy, setting the strategic momentum for the IMRF 2026 and a sustained, unstoppable global movement for migrant rights.

From the Streets of Dhaka to a Global Movement: Recognition of Migrants Day

On a December morning in 1998, the streets of Dhaka witnessed something new. Migrant workers, their families, and activists walked side by side, rallying from the National Museum to the National Press Club. It was the first time in Bangladesh that 18 December was publicly observed as the International Day of Solidarity with Migrant Workers. At the center of it all was the WARBE Development Foundation.

At the time, 18 December was not yet a recognized international day. But WARBE, along with other migrant organizations across Asia, chose that date intentionally, as it was when the UN adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers in 1990.

In 2000, a milestone was achieved: the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day, following a campaign led by Migrants Rights International (MRI) and supported by over 60 organizations from around the world—including WARBE.

From a modest rally in 1998 to a full-fledged nationwide campaign a decade later, WARBE’s observance of 18 December has grown into a movement of solidarity, policy advocacy, and public engagement.

Migrants Campaign Month (MCM) 2008

In 2008, WARBE participated in the Migrants Campaign Month (MCM), a regional initiative by Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA). Running from 25 November to 18 December, the campaign aimed to raise awareness and promote the ratification of UN and ILO conventions.

• 25 Nov (Intl. Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women): Held a community dialogue in Nawabganj Thana on “Feminisation of Migration and Rights of Women Migrants.”
• 2 Dec (Intl. Day for the Abolition of Slavery): Held a national seminar on “Streamlining Labour Migration through Ratification of UN and ILO Conventions.”
• 10 Dec (Intl. Human Rights Day): Hosted a media conference at the National Press Club to highlight the need for ratification.
• 18 Dec (Intl. Migrants Day): Organized mass rallies and human chains, collecting final signatures for its ratification petition and submitting it to the Government.

WARBE and the Fight for Migrant Rights: Ratification of the 1990 UN Convention

When the WARBE Development Foundation was formed in 1997, its mission was clear: to protect the rights and dignity of those who leave their homes to work abroad. One of the most powerful tools to achieve this has long been the 1990 United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

This Convention is the only comprehensive international legal framework that brings together all the rights of migrant workers in a single document, addressing every stage of the migration journey.

Bangladesh signed the Convention in 1998, signaling support. But more than two decades later, it still hasn’t ratified it. The consequences are visible. Many workers face abusive conditions, contract substitution, withheld wages, or denial of basic rights.

WARBE believes the ratification of the convention is necessary. It would demonstrate Bangladesh's commitment to defending its citizens, give the moral and legal right to engage in more equitable negotiations with destination countries, and bring domestic legislation into compliance with international human rights norms.

More than 25 years after signing, the wait continues. But WARBE is still here, still pushing. Still raising its voice in national consultations, public campaigns, and international forums. Because rights delayed are rights denied.