Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,

Excellencies; Distinguished Delegates;

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is an honor to be here today to offer the perspective of the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the relationship
between human mobility and the Millennium Developments Goals
MDGs.

Migration is a powerful manifestation of an individual’s
right to development. Today more people are on the move than at any
other time in recorded history: 214 million international migrants
and 740 million internal migrants. In other words, one in every
seven persons is a migrant – on the move.

There is a growing body of research on the impact of migration
on development; these studies demonstrate compelling the effects of
migration on poverty, gender equality, health, education and the
environment.

The linkage between migration and the MDGs remains complex and
uneven -- varying from country to country and depending on the type
of migratory movements (i.e. forced or voluntary); the
characteristics, resources and behavior of the migrant population,
and various political, social, legal, and economic factors in the
host country. 

Migration cuts across most, if not all MDGs, having stronger links
with some goals than with others.  Allow me to cite several
examples. 

1. Migrant remittances

First, migrant remittances - - the money sent home by migrants -
- helps reduce poverty by providing families in countries of origin
with additional, often vital,  income --  a direct link
to the achievement of MDG 1: ending poverty and hunger. 

According to the World Bank, official remittance flows to
developing countries last years amounted to USD 316 billion -- two
times that of Overseas Development Aid and about as substantial as
all global Foreign Direct Investment.  For the dozen or more
countries where migrant remittances account for 30 percent or more
of annual GDP, migration can be a determining factor in achieving
MDG targets.

Moreover, migrant remittances enable families to invest in
education and health, thereby promoting MDG 2 on universal primary
education and MDGs 4, 5 and 6 addressing health – from
reducing child and maternal mortality to combating the spread of
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

In addition to money, migrant “social remittances”
– skills, knowledge, and experience -- plays an important
role in fostering innovation, triggering learning processes,
building networks and facilitating the transfer of knowledge and
technology to countries of origin.

2. Feminization of migration

Second, is the increased feminization of migration -- women
migrating independently, or, as the “breadwinner,”
thereby playing part in MDG 3, promoting gender equality and
empowering women. Nearly half of the world’s migrants today
are women. Female migration can challenge gender stereotypes and
lead to greater independence and autonomy for women by increasing
the proportion of women in paid employment situations.

Migration can also pose obstacles to the achievement of gender
equality. A whole set of issues concerning the vulnerability and
trafficking of female migrants, as well as women migrants’
access to legal channels --- all of these need to be addressed in
many countries.

3. Environmental Sustainability

Third, migration can serve as an adaptation strategy for
communities vulnerable to the effects of environmental degradation
in the context of MDG 7 -- ensuring environmental
sustainability.    In several countries, migrants
can use the savings and skills they have acquired abroad to address
environmental degradation in their homeland.

4. Migration Partnerships

Finally, in terms of MDG 8, the development of partnerships --
diasporas communities across the globe have fostered development in
their home countries through investments and knowledge and
technology transfers. Partnership is also pivotal to developing
more accessible formal channels for remittance transfers and
beneficial trade linkages.

Conclusion

When migration is managed humanely, it supports the right to
development and the attainment of MDGs.  Towards this goal,
IOM has pioneered the integration of migration into development
planning.  In this respect, we are also working with our many
partners to include migration in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
and other national development frameworks.

Migration will continue to influence and shape development
prospects in coming decades.  We will need to work in concert
to mitigate the potential negative effects of migration on
development and maximize migration’s real potential to
advance human development and reach the Millennium Development
Goals.