IOM Santo Domingo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President's
Council for Dominicans Abroad, and the Global Foundation for
Development and Democracy are this week holding a three-day
international conference on "Creating Synergies Between Migration
and Development."

According to Frederic Emam-Zadé, Director of the Global
Foundation for Development and Democracy, the conference will:
“discuss and analyze the current situation of Dominicans
living abroad and try to find answers to the questions: Is it
possible to establish a connection between the national development
of a country and its nationals abroad? And what can the Dominican
Republic do to encourage policies that benefit its diaspora and
their nationals living within its borders?”

Some 160 participants, including representatives of the
government, civil society and the Dominican diaspora in Europe and
the USA are expected to attend. 

"The goal of this conference is to understand and increase our
knowledge of the large Dominican diaspora living abroad; while at
the same time strengthening social and institutional links to
encourage the development of the greater Dominican community," says
Dominican President Leonel Fernandez.

An estimated 1.5 million Dominicans, or 10 per cent of the
population, currently live abroad.  The Dominican population
in the US went from 502,123 in 1990 to 1,041,910 in 2000, making it
the fourth largest Hispanic group in the US after Mexicans, Puerto
Ricans and Cubans.  In Spain, the number of Dominicans is
estimated at 140,000.

For more information, please contact:

Fanny Polanía

IOM Santo Domingo

Tel. +1.8097327121

Email: "mailto:fpolania@iom.int">fpolania@iom.int