In 2000, the General Assembly proclaimed December 18 the International Migrants Day on the same day when in 1990 the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was also adopted.
It is estimated that 130 million people live and work today outside their country of origin.

• Worldwide, an estimated 130 million people live outside their countries of origin.

Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are invited to observe International Migrants Day through the dissemination of information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, and through the sharing of experiences and the design of actions to ensure their protection.

The 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families entered into force on 1 July 2003