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This paper analyzes the obstacles encountered by the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the most comprehensive international treaty in the field of migration and human rights, which has, however, been ratified by only 42 countries. Relying on a UNESCO-sponsored research project, it gathers evidence from major destination countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas and outlines three main sources of difficulties stemming from the influence of market forces, security, and sovereignty over migration policies. It concludes with an investigation of the place of the convention and of migrants’ rights in recent initiatives taken by the international community in the field of migration management.