Ministers from 24 countries with high
levels of emigration signed a declaration emphasizing the need for
increased collaboration on migration policies and the need to
respect existing legal frameworks on migration issues after a
meeting in the Peruvian capital, Lima, this week.

The Lima Declaration was the product of an
intense two-day “Special International Ministerial Conference
of Developing Countries with Substantial International Migration
Flows”, during which common migration issues were discussed.
The Declaration will be presented at the High Dialogue on
International Migration (HLD) scheduled to take place at the United
Nations in New York in September.

The IOM Regional Office in Lima provided its
support and expertise to the Peruvian government, which hosted the
event.

In his keynote speech, IOM Director General
Brunson McKinley stressed the importance of the event as the first
attempt by developing countries with important migration flows to
come together to strengthen the fundamental link between migration
and development.

McKinley put forth seven key messages for the
delegates to consider during their negotiations, pointing to the
need for coordinated migration policies, the participation of the
private sector, and the importance of regional consultative
processes.

As well as stressing the need to respect
international and national legal migration frameworks such as the
International Convention on the Protection of the Human Rights of
All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and the UN
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its two
protocols on Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants, the Lima
Declaration called on countries of destination to do more to
promote the development potential of remittances. Cheaper, faster
and the safer transfer of remittances were needed.

This first meeting has led the way for a
continued process of discussion on migration related issues amongst
countries with great flows of international migration. The next
meeting is scheduled to take place next year in Morocco.

The countries present included: Algeria,
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, China, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, the Philippines, Guatemala, India, Indonesia,
Jamaica, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Sri
Lanka, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. The international
organizations present were: IADB, ECLAC, IOM, ILO, ONUDD, UNDP,
CAN, SEGIB, UNESCO and UNFPA.

For more information contact:

Dolores Cortés

IOM Lima

Tel:+51.221 7209.

E-mail: "mailto:dcortes@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">dcortes@iom.int