Madam Chairperson, dear distinguished members of the Permanent
Forum, Member State Representatives, ladies and gentlemen,
colleagues, and special guests,

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is pleased to
participate in this fifth session of the Permanent Forum. Listening
to the statements at the opening ceremony of the fifth session
yesterday, it was apparent that there exists a broad intersection
of issues which affect both migrants and indigenous peoples –
human rights, displacement, cultural identities and traditional
ways of living, poverty, effective participation and inclusion into
culturally sensitive legislation and policies. These issues are
particularly meaningful for IOM because they are part of the nexus
between indigenous peoples and migration, and they have not
received sufficient attention by the international community.

At its third session in May 2004, the Permanent Forum
recommended launching a new initiative, to include IOM and other
stakeholders, to address issues relating to the large number of
indigenous migrants within and beyond national borders and the
particular vulnerability of indigenous women migrants, as well as
the lack of adequate data and attention to their problems. As a
response, IOM and the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum jointly
organized an Expert Workshop on Indigenous Peoples and Migration.
Therefore, we are pleased to introduce, with the Secretariat of the
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Report of the Expert
Workshop on Indigenous Issues and Migration which was hosted by IOM
at its headquarters in Geneva, on 6-7 April 2006. This report is
available as a conference room paper for this fifth session,
specifically CRP.5.

Distinguished Members of the Forum,

This expert workshop marked the first expert-level meeting on
the nexus between indigenous peoples and migration. The primary
goal was to map out the area and to identify the key challenges and
opportunities relating to the migration of indigenous peoples. The
meeting brought together over 30 participants, including
representatives and experts from several of the socio-cultural
regions of the world including Africa, the Arctic and Europe, Asia,
Central and South America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific as
well as representatives from international agencies and observers
from Member States.

This expert workshop was significant given that these two topics
– indigenous peoples and migration – have not yet been
consistently and systemically discussed within the same framework.
We felt that this was the year and this was the initial opportunity
to heighten attention on the social and political significance of
indigenous peoples and migration. This fall, the General
Assembly’s 61st Session will host a High-Level Dialogue on
International Migration and Development which is an opportunity not
to be missed to inject indigenous issues and concerns within this
debate at the highest level possible. Identifying the challenges
and responses thereto, while also exploring avenues of cooperation
amongst UN agencies, organizations and indigenous communities are
necessary steps to be taken in exploring the nexus of indigenous
peoples and migration.

Though the intent of this workshop was to provide a first-time
forum on the issues on indigenous peoples and migration, the
experts were indeed able to provide a number of recommendations
regarding state responsibility, information sharing, the role of
international organizations and agencies, and specific
recommendations for the upcoming High-Level Dialogue. The
conference room paper available at this session further details
these recommendations, but we would like to highlight the
recommendations made for the upcoming High-Level Dialogue along
with recommendations for international organizations and UN
agencies.

The experts emphasized that special focus should be given to
indigenous peoples, by not only addressing the economic and social
effects of indigenous migration, but also its cultural impact.
Because many indigenous peoples have strong community bonds, their
migration has a broader impact than on individual migrants alone.
Indigenous migration therefore has a collective impact because such
migration affects the entire community. For example, during the
workshop some experts noted that for some indigenous peoples, their
emigration from their community resulted in severing their
community links. Additionally, migration of others onto indigenous
territories can also result in the loss of traditional livelihoods
and ways of living which impact the community as a whole.

But migration of indigenous peoples was also discussed as a
potentially positive element for the development and sustenance of
indigenous communities which should be further explored. The
emphasis on community values of indigenous peoples may place
indigenous peoples at an advantage by adding value to the
development process. The community organization of many indigenous
peoples may help cultivate the impact of remittances and may also
aid in the transfer of skills circulating throughout the entire
community. When they do migrate out of their communities,
indigenous peoples can promote their indigenous social and cultural
capital in their destination countries or communities, at the same
time furthering international attention to, and knowledge and
interest in, indigenous peoples. Consider, for example, the
presence and interaction of the many indigenous groups here with
Member States, NGOs and international organizations during this two
week session. Indigenous migrants may also encourage increased
governme tal consultation with indigenous communities on national
laws and projects which may impact their lands. In essence,
voluntary indigenous migrants may offer opportunities to their home
communities that may not have otherwise occurred.

Finally, as a recommendation for the High-level Dialogue on
International Migration and Development, the experts called for the
effective implementation of international law at the national level
for the protection of indigenous peoples. It was further emphasized
that indigenous leaders and a diversity of actors participate in
processes to have culturally sensitive laws extend to indigenous
peoples. For international organizations and UN agencies, further
interagency cooperation and collaboration was recommended
particularly to provide more data and resources for carrying out
case studies on indigenous peoples and migration. Of particular
significance, is the recommendation of creating a task force to
specifically address migration issues of indigenous peoples within
the existing Inter-Agency Support Group of the Permanent Forum.
Such a task force could assist with studies being led by indigenous
leaders or experts, and also promote capacity building projects
dealing with the migration of indigenous peoples. Its focus could
be to share information and ideas, improve understanding and make
effective linkages between the work of all interagency members.
Given the importance of migration, and its further complexity with
respect to indigenous peoples, a proposed task force on migration
within the current Inter-Agency Support Group of the Permanent
Forum could provide much-needed resources to indigenous
peoples.

Madam Chair, Distinguished Members of the Forum,

As this workshop has proved, it is evident that the nexus
between migration and indigenous people warrants further
international attention. In advance of this year’s High Level
Dialogue on International Migration and Development, IOM stands
ready to continue addressing this issue.

Thank you for your attention.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to address the First Special International
Conference, at the Ministerial Level, of Developing Countries with
Substantial International Migrant Flows, and to share with you some
of IOM views on the themes of the UN High-Level Dialogue on
International Migration and Development, which will take place in
New York precisely five months from now.

But at the outset, allow me to congratulate all of you for
having convened this meeting of extraordinary importance. I believe
we are witness today to the birth of a new, crucial actor in the
international debate on migration. Your group, which was born under
the auspices of the G77, has the ambition and the potential to
represent a key constituency in that debate.

The very fact that such a large and prominent group of
Developing Countries from where originate a large proportion of the
200 million migrants living in the world today has agreed to meet
today, not only to compare notes, but also to work together towards
the definition of a joint position in view of the High-Level
Dialogue is a truly historic step, one which may bring a major,
positive contribution to the discussion on international migration.
I would like to applaud especially the hard work and successful
efforts deployed by the Government of Peru in organizing this
International Conference.

As you know, other important meetings have been held in the past
months, in a process of “spontaneous” preparation for
the High-Level Dialogue, to which IOM is proud to contribute. Just
to name a few, in this region of the world, the Sixth South
American Conference on Migration took place in Asuncion at the
beginning of May, while, in the same days, San Salvador hosted the
11th Regional Conference on Migration (Puebla Process). In other
areas of the world, allow me to recall the APC Workshop held in
Bangkok at the end of April, as well as the MIDSA Worsksop on
Migration, Poverty and Development in Southern Africa, which took
place in Windhoek almost at the same time.

This long series of meetings focused on the preparation for the
High-Level Dialogue started last March in Brussels, with the
Conference on Migration and Development - to which I had the honour
to participate - and will continue in the next months. It provides
us, I believe, with the most striking evidence of the absolute
relevance of the issue of migration in the agenda of most
Governments, everywhere in the world. The convening of the UN
High-Level Dialogue has acted as the catalyst for this process, but
certainly the issues at stake go well beyond that event.

The debate on migration, as I am sure this Conference will
authoritatively highlight, goes straight to the heart of national
and international affairs; it involves concerns and expectations of
hundred of million of people; it touches upon reciprocal respect of
cultural and social behaviors. Discussing all those aspects of
migration would bring us perhaps too far, so allow me to focus the
remaining of my interventions on two subjects.

First, I would like to discuss with you the link between
migration and development. And second, how the High Level Dialogue
can contribute to understanding that relationship better, and to
benefiting more from its positive potential.

What is the relationship between migration and development? As
with many complex issues, there is unfortunately no simple answer
– and especially so when people are involved. What there is,
is a two-way, positive and negative connection between migration
and development. Migration can be both a cause and a result of
underdevelopment. Underdevelopment, in turn, can be either
alleviated or exacerbated by migration. These general statements
illustrate that migration cannot be categorically seen as either an
obstacle to development, or as a strategy for its achievement. At
the global level, evidence shows that migration has a net positive
impact; however, its effect on development in individual countries
and communities depends on the political, social, legal and
economic environments in which migration takes place, and on the
characteristics, resources and behaviour of individual
migrants.

This overall positive assessment represents a significant shift
in thinking from a predominantly negative view which prevailed in
the 1980s, for example. Before, the emphasis was on the need to
eradicate the root causes of migration, brain drain, labour force
depletion and rural exodus. Now, while legitimate concerns remain,
in some of your countries, to reduce migration – for instance
- of certain categories of qualified workers, there is a growing
interest in the economic, social and cultural contributions of
migrants and how migration can help alleviate demographic and
labour market pressures in both countries of origin and
destination.

Let me now touch briefly on a few main elements of the
migration/development nexus specific to countries of
destination.

Migration can bring substantial macro-economic benefits to
destination countries by mitigating labour shortages, enhancing
human capital formation, and creating the job opportunities and
wealth which come from migrant entrepreneurial activities and the
demand for goods and services they create. These are also factors
which can increase the flexibility and productivity of the economy
as a whole, and contribute to growth.

Many destination countries have traditionally adopted
restrictive approaches to immigration based on concerns that
migration can undermine local wages and working conditions and
create security and social problems. Evidence shows, however, that
migration has minimal negative effect on wages and employment in
host countries. Moreover, no direct correlation between migration
and unemployment has been found.

To avoid potential negative effects in countries of destination,
the challenges of migration have to be addressed. While many
countries have come to embrace the diversity that migration brings
to their society, the need remains to preserve social stability and
cohesion and ensure mutually beneficial relationships between
migrants and destination communities remains. In short, migration
needs to be managed through proactive, comprehensive and coherent
governmental policies.

Let’s turn now to some of the development impacts of
migration on countries of origin, an issue of major relevance for
all of you.

One of the key benefits of migration for countries of origin is
the positive impact of remittances on poverty reduction, foreign
reserves and the balance of payments. There is also growing
recognition of the value of knowledge and skills-transfer when
migrants return home – whether temporarily or permanently,
and whether physically or virtually. “Virtualy” because
technology has made possible new and dynamic linkages between
diasporas and their countries of origin via internet – and
more and more migrants and countries of origin are exploring them.
Another readily apparent benefit lies in a certain level of relief
from unemployment and underemployment. And very importantly,
migration can also lead to the empowerment of women and other
groups.

But there are also potentially negative effects of migration on
countries of origin. Dependency of a country’s economy on the
remittances of migrants is one. Another is the brain drain that can
occur as a result of skilled emigration. Managing migration –
for example, by promoting circular migration - is therefore
essential. In particular, we need to work toward a better regulated
international labour market. Failure to do so will not only
adversely affect global economic growth. It will also fuel
irregular migration. And irregular migration opens the door for
human trafficking – an abuse of human rights, especially
women’s rights, which at its root is a byproduct of
underdevelopment, while a regulated market would substantially
strengthen migrants’ rights, dignity, working and living
conditions.

The High Level Dialogue - let me turn to the final part of my
address - will take the multilateral debate on migration and
development to a new level. This will be a unique opportunity to
move from words to action. In that respect, the very format -
combining plenary sessions with less formal, theme-based round
tables, all at the ministerial level - holds promise that greater
common understanding can be reached and ways found to move forward
in addressing the challenges of today’s new global migration
scenario.

IOM would suggest that there are seven key messages which the
High Level Dialogue should make its own. Since we know that the
High Level Dialogue will not produce a negotiated outcome, some of
those points might be reflected in the Chair’s Summary;
others will require to be negotiated within the General Assembly,
in the following months. In the interest of time, I will go through
them only as seven “headlines”, but I have distributed
a sheet to all of you which summarizes the rationale behind our
suggestions and what, concretely, they could produce.

Our seven key messages would be:

First, Migration needs to be better integrated into development
policy and planning. Migration impact analyses should figure in
development project planning. At the national level, the High Level
Dialogue should call for migration to be incorporated in national
development strategies and, whenever relevant, in Poverty Reduction
Strategy Papers (PRSPs).

Second, countries need migration policies and the internal
capacity to develop them. It is striking how many countries do not
have comprehensive migration policies, and not only in the
developing world. The High Level Dialogue should result in clear
recognition of the cross cutting nature of migration and should
recommend creation of inter-ministerial working groups as a
“good practice”.

Third, the business community needs to be drawn into the
migration debate. The business community plays a critical role in
the economics of migration. Yet it has usually been absent from the
table, especially at the international level. The High Level
Dialogue should explicitly recommend real partnership between
governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private business
sector and civil society.

Fourth, better mechanisms are needed to match supply and demand
of labor globally. The labor market is increasingly global.
Mechanisms to measure and match supply and demand, to provide
frameworks for humane, safe, legal and orderly flows to meet the
needs, and to maximize the development potential of migration, have
not kept pace. The High Level Dialogue should tackle this crucial
aspect I already referred to earlier on.

Fifth, the development potential of diasporas needs to be
explored and enhanced. There is growing focus on diasporas as
motors of development – and not only through their
remittances. The High Level Dialogue must continue to call for the
cost of remittances to be reduced. But it should go beyond that to
encourage better understanding of the relationship between
diasporas and home countries, and what motivates diasporas to
invest time, energy or money back home.

Sixth, regional consultations are a key tool for international
understanding and action. The Asia-Pacific and the Latin American
regions have been leaders in this field. More could be done
globally to achieve cross-fertilization between them globally, and
to benefit from good practice and lessons learned. Your new
“group”, which has a trans-regional dimension, could
play a crucial role in this process.

Seventh - last but certainly not least - better understanding of
migration law will benefit States and migrants alike. Improving
knowledge and understanding about the human rights of migrants will
result in better treatment of migrants. IOM has taken on the task
of compiling and disseminating information about the vast body of
existing international migration law and has begun focused training
sessions. More efforts like this are needed.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In closing my remarks, let me be very frank with you and add a
last key message: let’s keep the focus of the High Level
Dialogue on substance rather than on process, on action instead of
bureaucracy. I am referring here to the need – of which we
are all perfectly aware - of better coordinating the roles and
responsibilities of the many international actors engaged in
migration related activities.

As you know, the UN Secretary General has recently endorsed the
creation of the Global Migration Group, as an expanded and
strengthened successor of the Geneva Migration Group. I think it
would be fair to leave some time to the GMG to prove its
effectiveness in addressing the task of providing coherence to the
organizational response to migration requirements. The GMG will be
accountable to States, both collectively and through the governing
bodies of its member agencies, and States will evaluate its
efficacy, transparency and effectiveness.

To achieve this there is no need to create new bureaucratic
structures, but simply to make best use of those already existing,
without investing additional resources. I can assure you that IOM
is committed to work with the UN and other relevant organizations
in a spirit of full and transparent cooperation, for the benefit of
all parties concerned, and first and foremost - as we have been
doing for more than fifty years - in the interest and on behalf of
migrants themselves.

Thank you for your attention.

Mr. Chairman,

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate on
decent work, where in the course of the discussion yesterday and
today, several participants, including the USG Jose-Antonio Ocampo
in his opening remarks, have already related to the nexus of decent
work and migration. The interventions so far concentrated on the
challenges posed by migration, including the challenges posed for
migrants working in the informal sectors. Let us now also look at
potential benefits offered by migration.

One of the key benefits of migration for countries of origin is
the positive impact of remittances - often earned by migrants under
difficult circumstances in the informal sector - on poverty
reduction, foreign reserves and the balance of payments. There is
also growing recognition of the value of knowledge and
skills-transfer when migrants return home - whether temporarily or
permanently, and whether physically or virtually. 

In countries of destination, migration can bring substantial
macro-economic benefits by mitigating labour shortages, enhancing
human capital formation, and creating the job opportunities and
wealth which come from migrant entrepreneurial activities and the
demand for goods and services they create. These are also factors
which can increase the flexibility and productivity of the economy
as a whole, and contribute to growth.

Many destination countries have traditionally adopted
restrictive approaches to immigration based on concerns that
migration can undermine local wages and working conditions and
create security and social problems. Evidence shows, however, that
migration has minimal negative effect on wages and employment in
host countries. Moreover, no direct correlation between migration
and unemployment has been found. 

IOM is therefore convinced that migration, if properly managed,
can contribute to the growth and prosperity of all involved. To
this effect, the collective capacity to manage the migration
phenomena should be addressed in more holistic, coherent and
productive manner. International organizations can contribute to
the development of more comprehensive policy approaches, overcoming
existing gaps, helping clear misperception and supporting dialogue
and confidence building. IOM believes that Regional Consultative
Processes have demonstrated that they can greatly contribute to
this process.

The High Level Dialogue will take the multilateral debate on
migration and development to a new level. This will be a unique
opportunity to move from words to action.  As suggested by the
Kenyan delegate yesterday, it would certainly be important for
ECOSOC to provide its own contribution to the HLD, in particular on
crucial issues related to labour migration and decent work for
immigrants, and IOM is working together with the ECOSOC Presidency
and relevant UN bodies to make this happen.

Thank you.