I thank the Mediterranean Special Group of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly, the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies,
for this invitation. The subject of your seminar – security
challenges in the Mediterranean and the Middle East - is more than
timely.



It is a pleasure to discuss migration in a NATO environment, also
because relations between our two organizations are growing
steadily. Just a few months ago we signed an agreement with NATO's
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE) to increase
cooperation in natural disasters, complex emergencies and post
conflict environments. The agreement “paves the way for an
increased exchange of information and expertise at planning and
operational levels to improve the capacity of both organizations to
respond in times of humanitarian emergencies”. Earlier this
year we held a first joint training seminar on “exit
strategies” with the NATO College in Rome, and we send
lecturers to Oberammergau with some frequency.



The linkages between migration and security are obviously receiving
growing attention. While security is a necessary dimension of
migration management (and I shall return to this later), it must
however not become the principal focus of the debate. There are
many others to consider. Key among them is demographics –
both in origin and destination societies; incidentally a
distinction that is getting increasingly blurred.



Philippe Fargues will no doubt discuss the Mediterranean dimension
of demographics and migration in some details. I shall thus just
point out a few more generalized facts as they emerge from recent
research.

1. All countries of Western Europe have a positive migration
   balance as do 6 of the 10 new EU member States. It is very likely
   that soon this will be the case for the rest of Europe. 
2. Demographic stagnation best describes Europe’s native
   populations.
3. In 2004, the total number of long-term immigrants into OECD
   countries reached between 3 to 3.5 million, including about 1
   million in the United States. In Italy and Portugal, the large
   number of irregular migrants may explain the relatively low levels
   of registered long-term entries.
4. Despite the recent increase in labour migration, accompanying
   family and family reunification still make up the bulk of long-term
   migration to most OECD countries.
5. Temporary labour migration is also important and
   increasing.
6. There has been a sharp decrease of asylum seekers in the last 3
   years, but this category still fuels important flows (336,000 in
   2005, 15 percent fewer than in 2004). Certain countries (Austria,
   Finland, France, Poland, Slovak Republic, Sweden) see marked
   increases. Nevertheless, in the 25 countries of the European Union,
   as well as in Europe as a whole, the number of asylum seekers last
   year was the lowest since 1988. 
7. Immigration flows are characterized by the predominance of a
   few traditional origin countries and the increase of certain
   nationalities (recently, for example, Romanians for Italy, Poles
   for Germany, Danes, Poles and Thais for Sweden).
8. Unauthorized migration and illegal employment continue.
   According to recent UN estimates, there were between 7 and 8
   million irregular migrants present in Europe in 2005. The boats
   arriving in Lampedusa harbour or at the Canaries provide an
   impressive picture picked up by the media. Most migrants, however,
   become irregulars because of clandestine or fraudulent entry, legal
   entry followed by overstaying or illegality induced by
   administrative measures.
9. Immigration contributes significantly to population growth in a
   number of OECD countries, with Spain and Italy registering most of
   their growth thanks to immigration.
10. Immigrants make up an important and increasing share of the
    total labour force in most OECD countries. Their integration into
    the labour market does however face difficulties. In many
    countries, the unemployment rates of immigrants are significantly
    higher than those of native-born.
11. Selective migration policies have become more and more
    important as competition among receiving countries increases to
    attract and retain the best and brightest. This raises concerns
    about brain circulation vs. brain drain, and the benefits that
    countries of origin and of destination as well as the individual
    migrants draw from this phenomenon.

The EU strategy for the external dimension of the policy on
freedom, security and justice emphasizes the need for international
migration to be addressed as a priority issue. Indeed, Europe has
the highest share of the 191 million international migrants in the
world – today, one in every three migrants lives in
Europe.



Demographic trends, increasing global economic integration and the
gap in income levels between the developed and developing worlds
ensure that migration to Europe will continue. Freedom, security
and justice in the EU and its neighbouring countries and the aim of
prosperity and stability in the region require that mobility will
not take the form of more unregulated migration, with associated
adverse effects and security challenges, but will instead flow into
safe, orderly, humane and productive avenues.



A comprehensive and balanced approach to migration requires
policies and measures addressing a broad range of challenges and
opportunities including regular and irregular migration, human
rights of migrants, migration and development, inter-state dialogue
and cooperation, integration and return.



After the events of 9/11 and in light of a sustained global
terrorist threat, security concerns necessarily are high on
national and international agendas, including in the context of the
movement of people. In Europe and internationally, security remains
one the central considerations in migration management.



There is a close link between cross-border mobility and security.
Irregular migration poses a threat to security and stability in a
variety of ways:

• In its most corrosive forms of smuggling and trafficking, it is
  linked to transnational organized crime. Entry of migrants in an
  irregular manner undermines the capacity of states to ensure public
  order; trafficking and smuggling on a large scale can corrupt and
  undermine the institutions of the state. My organization estimates
  that some 200,000 people are trafficked into and within Europe
  every year, the majority of them women and girls for sexual
  exploitation.
• Moreover, irregular migration fuels corruption, as well as
  informal economies and undermines social cohesion, which, at worst,
  may provoke xenophobia and racism.

The challenge States face is how to protect society and reduce
irregular migration without stifling legitimate and needed movement
and without imposing serious constraints on personal rights and
liberties.



While it is the fundamental right of each country to determine who
enters and remains in its territory and under what conditions,
geographic mobility increasingly extends the scope of security
concerns beyond national borders. Addressing modern security
threats requires a broader concept of security based on promoting
development, respect for human rights and the rule of law.



Comprehensive approaches to migration management should be pursued
not only in terms of content – by addressing the multiplicity
of relevant policy areas --but also in terms of participation. It
is necessary to include all relevant players at both the national
and international levels. At the national level, that would involve
all governmental ministries whose work directly or indirectly
involves or impacts migration – such as justice and home
affairs, defense, labour, trade and development. The business
community, trade unions and civil society are key voices that need
to be heard at grassroots levels. At the international level,
organizations dealing with issues such as development, labour,
human rights, trade, health and crime prevention need to be
involved. Cooperation is key to this extent, to bridging coherence
gaps and achieving effective migration management.



The multilateral agencies of the UN and IOM have created the Global
Migration Group (GMG), an inter-agency gathering, meeting at the
level of Heads of agencies. Its membership is composed of the ILO,
IOM, OHCHR, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNODC, UNDESA, UNDP, UNFPA and the World
Bank.



Global dialogue on migration too has experienced some progress.
IOM's International Dialogue on Migration brings together more than
130 states and partner organizations to share experiences and
perspectives and create better understanding and cooperation in the
management of migration. The UN has decided to make International
Migration and Development a yearly agenda item, a High-Level
dialogue in New York will discuss the issue in detail this
September, and these days there is also talk about establishing a
further forum that will allow debate among governments on migration
issues.



IOM is actively involved in promoting regional cooperation on
migration including through initiation and facilitation of regional
dialogues. Regional and sub-regional processes, such as the 5+5
Dialogue on Migration in the Western Mediterranean provide
essential fora for informal dialogue, exchange of information,
analysis of migration-related topics and capacity building in the
region. The forthcoming Rabat conference too will be an important
step in the dialogue between countries involved in the same flows
of migrants, and so does the “Across Sahara” project
that promotes dialogue and technical cooperation between Italy,
Libya and Niger.



Key to deepening cooperation among these countries is the
recognition that transit states in Northern Africa bear significant
burdens as a result of heavy migration flows. These countries act
as a buffer apprehending considerable and increasing numbers of
irregular migrants en route to Europe. The EECA countries are in a
similar situation where the heaviest burden of irregular migrants
seeking to enter the EU is experienced by the countries on the
Western Border of the CIS (Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova). Turkey
too is a major transit and destination country.



The influx of irregular migrants puts a considerable strain on the
often under-resourced social and welfare services of transit
countries, when irregular migrants temporarily settle there before
trying to reach their destination. Transit states often do not have
the capacity to send these migrants back to their countries of
origin or to accommodate them. In addition, irregular migrants
typically take up informal jobs while in transit states, fuelling
growth of the informal economy - and corruption.



IOM is actively working with the Maghreb states on bilateral as
well as sub-regional levels providing support and strengthening
their institutional capacity to combat irregular migration and
trafficking and develop effective migration management systems.



To respond more adequately to these new challenges we opened this
year new offices in Tripoli and on Lampedusa Island, south of
Sicily.



One of the projects implemented by IOM in Libya provides support to
the Libyan government in responding to the growing challenges of
increasing irregular and transit migration in a humane manner,
including through bringing reception conditions available to
irregular migrants up to international standards and offering such
migrants voluntary return possibilities.



Effective migration management requires capacity building to help
place all states on more equal footing. Due to the complexity of
migration management, capacity building must cover a range of
cross-cutting activities and sectors of policy making. Lack of
migration management capacity in some countries can undermine the
ability of the whole region to deal effectively with issues related
to the movement of people. Therefore a partnership between
countries with different levels of capacity is essential. While the
EU plays a prominent role in providing financial and technical
assistance (through such programmes as AENEAS, TACIS, CARDS, MEDA,
AGIS and ARGO) to partner countries in developing their capacities,
more is needed.



We do have many tools and fora at our disposal. Still, all is not
well when it comes to managing international migration in a humane
and efficient manner. The deserts of Africa and the shores of the
Mediterranean already host too many graves of often anonymous
migrants who did not make it. Many were unaware of the real risks
linked to irregular migration or the (few) actual legal migration
opportunities that their smugglers have no interest in promoting.
Information – credible, from a neutral source, based on facts
– is one key element of managing migration and preventing
hardship. Migration also brings challenges to the societies where
migrants have managed to arrive; among them are social tension,
conflicted identity, and the alienation caused by inadequate
integration. With the numbers of migrants - and countries -
affected by migration growing, integration has become a major focus
for policy makers at all levels. In Europe we have seen different
models succeed - or sometimes fail. Here much more will have to be
invested in order to avoid that the centrifugal forces brought by
many diverse nationalities, religions and cultures will not become
stronger than the cohesion that still characterizes most European
societies.



Successful integration helps migrants become active members in the
economic, social, cultural and political life of host states. This,
in turn, can also be beneficial for their countries of origin,
because migrants can then more easily mobilize their human and
financial capital to support the development process.



While the term is used and understood differently in different
countries and contexts, "integration" can be defined as the process
by which migrants become accepted into society, both as individuals
and as groups. It generally refers to a two-way process of
adaptation by migrants and receiving societies, while the
particular requirements for acceptance by a host society vary from
country to country. The responsibility for integration rests with
many actors: migrants themselves, host governments, various public
and private institutions and communities. Integration does not
necessarily imply permanent settlement. It does, however, imply
consideration of the rights and obligations of migrants and host
societies, of access to different kinds of services and the labour
market, and of identification and respect for a core set of values
that bind migrants and host communities in a common purpose.



The relationship of migrants with the host society can be seen as
taking place along a spectrum ranging from:

• very little interaction where migrants are essentially
  segregated or excluded or segregate themselves from the society in
  which they live and work; 
• an expectation that migrants shed their cultural identity by
  assimilating into the mainstream culture; 
• an encouragement to migrants to take on a new national
  identity; 
• promotion of the retention and development of migrant cultures
  and languages in a multicultural context; to 
• the development of transnational and dual or multiple
  identities where migrants live in, have a sense of belonging to,
  and participate effectively in two or more societies, including
  those of destination and origin countries.

A polarity of integration models is emerging today. Key
questions for reflection and discussion should include:

• What does it mean to be successfully integrated
  today? 
• What level of integration is required for each category or type
  of migrant? 
• What are the implications for the identity of a country or a
  society? 
• What are the implications for government policies, for example,
  regarding language and access to social services, education, and
  health care? 
• What should the core values of each society be and through what
  process or processes could they be better defined? 
• Should diversity and transnational identity be viewed as
  inherent values to be promoted, or simply as realities that cannot
  be ignored, and how can they be harnessed to benefit communities in
  both host and origin countries?

In the past, migratory trends were dominated by one-time,
unidirectional movement resulting in permanent settlement in
countries of destination. As a result, countries of destination
traditionally focused on the integration of migrants with a view to
putting them on the path to nationality. For this reason, some
countries’ considered (and continue to consider) integration
only in these terms.



Though permanent and long-term migration remains significant,
International migration today is increasingly temporary, circular
and multi-directional. As these characteristics increase, more
countries are seeing this phenomenon as a policy priority. These
trends in direction and duration highlight the need for integration
efforts to be flexible and responsive to the needs of each
different situation, and in particular to address the specific
place and role of temporary migrants in the host society.



To focus today solely on integration in terms of long term or
permanent migration risks marginalizing an increasingly large
segment of the population in many countries, with negative social
and economic implications. Moreover, the particular situation of
migrants in an irregular status cannot be ignored: at a minimum,
their human rights must be respected and enforced.



The effectiveness of integration strategies depends to a large
extent on the particular needs of individual migrants and those of
the host country or community. While policies on integration have
mainly developed in Western countries and in traditional
immigration countries, every country needs to find its own approach
in view of its specific circumstances. For example, whether
migrants will have access to the labour market and to social
services such as healthcare and other forms of public assistance
depends on host country approaches to these questions for
nationals, as well as for migrants.



Even where migration is temporary, a certain level of integration
is nonetheless necessary to ensure that the temporary stay is as
productive and beneficial as possible. Where migrants have chosen a
host society but have not been chosen by it (i.e. either entered
without permission or overstayed a lawful entry), questions of
integration nonetheless are important for social stability,
security and national identity. While migrants in an irregular
situation are integrated de facto in some cases, particularly if
they are employed and speak the local language, some countries have
adopted measures enabling certain groups of irregular migrants to
regularize their status, in recognition of their contribution to
the national economy, or, conversely, to prevent their further
exploitation and marginalization, and promote their fuller
integration.



By familiarizing migrants with legal requirements and
administrative practices and instilling them with a sense of
belonging and responsibility to the host community while respecting
and valuing their own culture, integration can positively affect
migrants’ desire to abide by host society rules and to be
active contributors to society. All members of the community,
including migrants, not only avoid the negative repercussions
arising from migrants’ isolation and marginalization, but
positively benefit from strengthened communities.



Policy approaches to integration are often adopted based on the
cause or category of movement, such as resulting from persecution
or conflict in the case of refugees, lack of economic opportunity,
or to unite with family. Migrants’ skills, reasons for
migrating, cultural values and traditions, place of origin, place
of destination, length of stay, family status, and gender too are
among the factors to consider.



Integration involves a number of dimensions, including economic,
social, cultural, political and legal. While much discussion of
integration focuses on ensuring migrants’ ability to be
gainfully employed and contribute to the local economy, more than
this is required if migrants are to be full participants in their
host society.



The consequences of failed economic integration of migrants are all
too evident. Persistent unemployment among many second and third
generation migrants, increasing alienation, isolation and
frustration, often fuelled by a combination of relative poverty,
limited educational opportunities and the absence of supportive
networks, can result in social tension and disturbances. These
issues often affect the local population in poorer and more
deprived communities and not just migrants, and therefore require
comprehensive economic and social strategies, involving governments
at all levels as well as a wide range of other stakeholders, such
as employers, local communities and civil society
organizations.



Whether or not migrants embark on the path to integration can
depend to a large degree on social policy advocating a proactive
approach to migrants. The provision of social services can
facilitate integration by giving migrants the information and
resources necessary for their self-reliance and interaction in
society. Social policies, particularly in education and health
care, which promote acceptance of diversity, help migrants and
their families integrate and build healthier societies. Providing
opportunities for migrants – both children and adults –
to learn the local language is a critical first step.
Migrants’ resource centres may “give a face” to
such initiatives, as is already the case in several countries.



Tolerance of diversity is crucial, and concerted efforts are
required to create relationships between culturally distinct
communities of migrants and nationals with a view to building
social cohesion and harmony. Schools and the media have
particularly important roles to play in promoting tolerance and
mutual acceptance.



Migration can alter the cultural composition and economic landscape
of whole regions, cities and communities in host countries, due to
the increase in population or to the particular practices, skills
sets and beliefs of individual migrants. Migrants and migration can
bring vibrancy, increased productivity, cultural richness and
diversity. But cultural and religious differences between migrants
and the host society can also bring into focus competing values
such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion and can
result in intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia.



“Successfully integrated" migrants often are involved in
community activities as well as religious organizations. An
environment of cultural and religious tolerance is a prerequisite
for such participation. In order to maintain social cohesion in the
face of growing diversity, sensitization of younger generations to
religious tolerance in schools and elsewhere, as well as fair and
balanced portrayal of migration and religious diversity by the
media, require particular attention. Moreover, migrants originating
from societies where religion plays a key role may need specific
support to integrate themselves in countries where socio-cultural
diversity is more pronounced.



The legal dimensions of integration, including mutual rights and
obligations on the part of migrants and their host societies,
heavily influence all aspects of the integration process. All
migrants -- regardless of legal status -- are human beings who
possess human rights and freedoms set forth in international human
rights law. National laws are adopted to ensure their effective
implementation. The core guarantee is against discrimination:
differential treatment between nationals may be allowed, but
discrimination -- unfair, unjustifiable or arbitrary distinction --
is not.



Proactive attention to migrant integration can lead to long term
savings from the preventable costs of failed integration.
Partnerships between and among stakeholders at the national and
international levels are crucial for the development of effective
integration policies and practices. Governments will have a central
role in facilitating the development and implementation of many of
these partnerships. The law - makers, have the key role of voting
the laws that provide the framework that influences success or
failure of integration.



Thank you very much.

Mrs. Rosa Estarás, Vice President of the Government of
Baleares, Mrs. Encarnación Pastor, Counsellor for
Immigration and Cooperation, Mrs. Magdalena Contestí,
Director General for Cooperation

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very delighted to be with you this morning in the beautiful
Island of Palma de Mallorca, and have great pleasure in addressing
your Second Seminar on Migration and Co-development. The theme of
your Seminar is dear to me as someone coming from a country with so
many migrants abroad, and your discussion will be very timely since
the UN General Assembly has decided to have its first ever
High-Level Dialogue dedicated to International Migration and
Development (HLD), scheduled for 14-15 September this year in New
York. IOM is actively participating in the preparations for HLD at
national, regional and global levels. I will take a few minutes
towards the end of my presentation to speak about that and share
with you IOM key messages for HLD;

Migration and development mutually influence each other in many
ways, and it will be important for all countries - sending, transit
and destination - to work together at all levels towards maximizing
the benefits, mitigating risks and reducing shortcomings. Their
interaction is extensive and extremely complex, and the
understanding of both root causes and impact is still limited. For
example, remittances continue to make great contributions to
development, and can be used more effectively as a means to reduce
poverty. In 2005, developing countries officially recorded
receiving US $167 billion of remittances, representing more than
twice the level of development aid from all sources. But at the
same time, many developing countries are encountering the loss of
skilled human resources and are constantly suffer from increasing
brain drain phenomenon;

Migration is one of the major issues of our times, and
peoples’ mobility has indeed increased in ways not seen ever
before, thanks to advances in technology and transportation
systems. More and more people around the world will continue to
debate about migration triggers and effects on
societies.   Given the current direction and character of
globalization, there is a need to address the issue of
international migration and development taking into account the
multidimensional aspects and consequences of the migration
phenomenon as well as the need for more specialized studies and
comprehensive analysis of the contributions that migration and the
migrants themselves can make to the development of both sending and
receiving States. The aim should be to reverse the adverse effects
of migration and maximize its positive aspects;

Diasporas are increasingly being considered as both agents for
development in countries of origin and for positive change in host
societies. They play important roles in strengthening cooperation
between home and host societies, and make tremendous positive
contributions. In a globalized world, diasporas have great untapped
potentials to make and they are more than willing to help. However,
the extent to which diasporas can and are actually contributing to
development and social change is not well researched and documented
and may as well turn out to be quite significant. But in any case,
diasporas’ contributions are enormous and can be categorized
as follows:

1. Migrants contributions to countries of origin:
   
   
   
   • Financial capital: Diasporas transfer huge sums of remittances
     ($ 232 billion is the total globally in 2005), beside sending
     private capital for investment at home. Financial capital flows
     from the diasporas contribute to the welfare of their home
     countries;
     
     
     
   • Human capital: Transfer of skills accumulated from education,
     training and work experience of diasporas and can contribute
     to  capacity development in countries of origin through return
     migration or virtual return using communication technologies (like
     e-learning);
     
     
     
   • Social capital: Primarily takes on the form of migrant
     networks, and can provide home countries with greater access to
     more developed markets and foreign direct investment flows, and as
     such it also benefit the host countries, and help to link their
     economies to new markets.
     
     
     
2. Migrants contributions to host countries:
   
   
   
   In host countries, diasporas make many contributions to the
   societies in which they live. Their contributions are being
   increasingly recognized, and help to change negative perceptions
   about migration and strengthen its positive and humane side.
   Diasporas contributions in host countries fall into many mutually
   reinforcing dimensions:
   
   
   
   • Economics: Migrants often choose to move in order to secure a
     better life for themselves and their families, and countries of
     destination often select migrants on the basis 
     
     
     
   • Social: Migrants promote acceptance harmony and contribute to
     building healthier societies.  They bridge relations between
     different peoples and engender respect for tolerance and social
     cohesion among culturally distinct communities;
     
     
     
   • Cultural: Migrants bring with them their own sets of cultural
     and traditional heritages. They contribute to cross-fertilization
     among peoples from different cultural backgrounds, and promote
     respect for diversity between culturally distinct communities.
     

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to share with you some practical examples that show
some of the contributions that the African diasporas can make to
development. Since 2001, IOM began the implementation of its
Migration for Development Programme (MIDA). It builds on
IOM’s experience in facilitating the transfer of skilled
human resources, particularly the IOM programme for the Return and
Reintegration of Qualified African Nationals (RQAN-III), which
ended in 1999.  Many parts of the African continent are
currently affected by a shortage of qualified human resources.
Thousands of African professionals such as medical doctors, nurses,
accountants, engineers, managers, teachers, etc. continue to leave
the continent each year. The reasons for their departure
vary:  They try to either improve their careers by pursuing
studies or by seeking better paid jobs. Others simply depart
fleeing from havoc created by insecurity and/or unstable political
conditions. The resulting brain drain weakens African institutions
and inhibit capacity development;

What’s MIDA?

MIDA is a capacity-building programme, which helps to mobilize
the skills of African diasporas and make them available to support
development in Africa. It focuses on establishing a strategic
dialogue and partnership with the diasporas and between them and
the various stakeholders, including governments of host and home
countries, private sector institutions, civil societies, donors and
many financial and educational institutions. MIDA also proposes an
enlarged, flexible and innovative approach of skill transfers,
through multiple options including:

• virtual work and e-learning technologies
• sequenced visits
• permanent return

It also includes activities related to migrants’
remittances, thus recognizing their important role in foreign
exchange earnings and positive impact on national economies of many
developing countries.

MIDA Great Lakes

IOM began to implement in November 2001 the first MIDA programme
- targeting the three countries of the Great Lakes region: Burundi,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

Under the MIDA programme for the the Great Lakes, IOM makes it
possible for professionals who reside in Belgium to return to their
home countries and offer technical short-term assistance and
expertise in technical fields including agriculture, banking,
engineering, economics, environmental protection and social and
educational sciences. Their cultural and linguistic affinities
facilitate the transfer of skills. The programme is instrumental in
responding to the need for strengthening the human resource bases
in these countries. It rectifies manpower imbalances, while it also
helps reverse the brain drain in the long run.

MIDA Italy

MIDA Italy is a project promoted by IOM with the support of the
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its main objective is to
assess the interest and potentialities of sub-Saharan Africa
immigrants in Italy who are willing to contribute to their
countries of origin's socio-economic development.

The programme is also intended as a supportive tool for the
realization of self-sustainable development projects.

The role of Remittances in MIDA

Today in Africa migrants’ remittances constitute a very
important source of foreign exchange. Also remittances, if used
effectively, represent the most direct link between migration and
development. In 2005, migrant remittance receipts of developing
countries stood at USD 167 billion, exceeding both ODA and private
debt and equity flows. It is estimated that globally the value of
remittances flowing through informal channels is three times higher
than the official channels. At the household level it is generally
agreed that remittances help to reduce poverty, and the PRSP and
MDGs should fully tape into such a potential.

An important reason why migrants go abroad to work is to support
their families back home and they would therefore send most or a
part of their earnings home even in the absence of special
inducements. While recognizing above all that remittances are
private and family funds, MIDA encourages the voluntary and
efficient use of remittances for development in countries of
origin. These include initiatives that support cost saving and
reliable remittance methods and help consolidate remittances into
pools of development and investment capital.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

IOM has been invited by the UN to contribute to the HLD’s
preparations, and we have taken up initiatives with others in and
outside the UN to advance a more coherent approach to migration
policies and a better balanced understanding of migration and
migrants.

It is important here to note that representatives of
non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the
Economic and Social Council, civil society organizations and the
private sector, may also participate in each of the round tables of
the High-level Dialogue. While this will be determined by the
President of the General Assembly, in consultation with Member
States, I nevertheless would like to call upon the NGOs to take
full advantage of the HLD debate and contribute their best to
enriching the discussion on migration and development by sharing
their own unique perspectives and experiences. There is a lot that
we can learn, particularly from diasporas organizations. Having
said so, allow me to share with you the key messages identified by
IOM for the HLD:

1. Migration needs to be better integrated into development policy
   and planning.  Migration and its impact should figure in
   development planning. The HLD should call for migration to be
   incorporated as a required element in Poverty Reduction Strategy
   Papers (PRSPs) and integrated into discussion around the Millennium
   Development Goals (MDGs);
   
   
   
2. Countries need migration policies and the internal capacity to
   develop them.  The HLD should result in recognition/acceptance
   of the cross cutting nature of migration and should recommend
   creation of inter-ministerial working groups as a “good
   practice”. Capacity building initiatives should be undertaken
   where these are warranted; 
   
   
   
3. The business community needs to be drawn into the migration
   debate. The HLD should explicitly recommend real partnership
   between governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private
   business sector and civil society.
   
   
   
4. Better mechanisms are needed to match supply and demand of
   labor globally.  The HLD should specifically recognize that
   the labor market has become increasingly global. The world’s
   stock of human capital is diverse– thanks to temporary labor
   migration schemes and circular migration patterns, but also via
   “virtual” transfer of skills by diasporas.  The
   HLD could lead the way to a mechanism to better match supply and
   demand in a strengthened partnership amongst governments,
   organizations, employers and unions.
   
   
   
5. The development potential of diasporas needs to be explored and
   enhanced.  The HLD must continue to call for the cost of
   remittances to be reduced. To this it should call upon relevant
   organizations to study these issues and to make the findings widely
   available;  
   
   
   
6. Regional consultations are a key tool for international
   understanding and action.  Regional Consultative Processes
   (RCPs) are widely recognized to have been a crucial element in
   fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and, increasingly,
   concerted action in response to shared migration challenges over
   the past decade or so.  The HLD could foster greater
   cross-fertilization amongst RCPs for cross-regional sharing of good
   practice and lessons learned;
   
   
   
7. Better understanding of migration law will benefit States and
   migrants alike. In 2004, IOM began the task of compiling and
   disseminating information about the vast body of existing
   international migration law. We have recently launched our data
   base and training sessions have begun. The HLD should encourage the
   continuation of these efforts, calling upon the donor community to
   support them and all interested states, as well as RCPs, to take
   full advantage of them.
   

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last and not least, I would like to once again say that the
choice for your Second Seminar to focus on Immigration and
Co-development has been very thoughtful, and will inspire all of us
to try to better understand the relation between the two. We need
to see how best we can unleash the full potential of migration as
an engine for change and development. The HLD will, in a few month
time, take place and we should make effective use of this
unprecedented opportunity to mainstream the debate on international
migration and development at all levels. I for one would like to
make, a suggestion to declare a decade for migration and
development. The decade will allow, among other things, for the
creation and strengthening of the global consultative process put
forward by the UNSG in his latest report.

Thank you!