Your Excellencies, Distinguished Officials,

Members of the United Nations Family, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I - Introduction

What an honour and pleasure to welcome you to IOM's 2010
International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) and to this, our 2nd
Intersessional Workshop of the year, this time on Societies and
Identities: The Multifaceted Impact of
Migration.    

Over the next two days, we will explore together the impact of
international migration on the political, social and cultural
make-up of societies in origin, transit and destination
countries.

In doing so, we hope to identify best practices and practical
solutions to strengthen and improve migration policies. 

Migration is about the movement of people - migration also
concerns the movement and evolution of policy to keep pace with
this mass mobility and to promote legal, safe, and humane
migration.  

At no other time in recorded history have so many people been on
the move - 214 million international migrants; if constituted as a
single nation, migrants would constitute the fifth most populous
country in the world.  If grouped together with the 740
million internal migrants, including displaced persons - then one
in every seven persons on the globe is a
migrant.     

To complicate matters,  global phenomena such as climate
change; demography and food, water and energy insecurity are coming
together like never before to push and pull the world's population
in new directions. As a result, societies are more and more
inter-linked and connected.

The migration policies of destination countries will help
determine whether the enrichment of migrants is a source of
strength and a cause for celebration, or a source of bewilderment
and a challenge to a nation's sense of
identity.   

But migration affects societies of origin as profoundly as it
affects societies of destination.  In addition, more and more,
countries are becoming places of destination, origin and transit
all at once.  

II - Content

This morning, I had three thoughts that I felt important to
share with you in the context of our
theme.    

First, migration is an enduring mega
trend that will persist well into the 21st century.

Neither the global economic recession; nor restrictive
Government policies nor quotas are likely to halt of even slow the
inexorable pace of human mobility.   

International migration is linked inescapably to globalization -
the combination of distance-shrinking technology and cheaper travel
with the free flow of goods, services and increasingly people to
new or evolving markets and societies.  Yet globalization
thinkers and policymakers have paid scant attention to migration as
an essential ingredient in our globalizing world.  In a very
real sense, migration is the "stepchild" of globalization.

The issue before governments is not so much a question of
whether or not to accept migrants or to allow migration; rather the
issue before us all is how to manage migration in a manner that
meets societal interests while respecting migrants' legitimate
aspirations, dignity and human rights. 

Second, migration involves the movement
of skills, knowledge and manpower - but first and foremost it
involves the movement of people: men, women, children, and
families; hence the importance of the "social dimension" which is
at the centre of this year's International Dialogue on
Migration.  

IOM Member States acknowledged as much nearly 60 years ago when
drafting the Organization's Constitution.  They called on
States to settle and integrate migrants, and I quote, "into the
economic and social structure of the country of
reception".  

As migration dynamics change in destination countries, so too
does the impact on countries of origin and transit.  For
example, we are seeing far more instances of temporary
mobility.  In many cases families are separated as one parent
leaves the family to work abroad.   

Efforts are needed to manage the relationships between those who
move, the communities they move to, and those they leave
behind. 

Third, more needs to be done to debunk
"migration myths" and harmful stereotypes about migration. 
Here more, much more, needs to be done - and done urgently - to
inform and educate the public about migrants and their positive
contributions.

Too often, and particularly during economic downturns, migrants
are subject to unfair and misinformed labelling and scapegoating
and in the worst cases to racism, discrimination and
xenophobia.  As job creation continues to lag far behind the
beginnings of economic recovery, migration has become even more
difficult to manage responsibly. There is a widespread tendency to
think in a counter-cyclical manner, that

is, to send the migrants back - to see migrants as part of the
problem rather than part of the solution to the economic
crisis. 

Raising awareness about the realities of migration and the immense
contribution migrants make to all facets of social, economic,
cultural and political life is a chief priority for IOM.

I say this, because even the most well-intentioned policies will
fail if they collide with hardened attitudes and
misconceptions. 

Let me add one final footnote: Nowadays, membership in a society
is an increasingly complex affair.  Societies are comprised of
a diverse body of individuals who may have dual nationalities,
overlapping identities, and family connections or business
interests that span more than one country.  The very
composition of many nation-states is evolving, with more and more
having multicultural and multi-ethnic societies.

This new reality presents two principal options. 

One, to maintain the status quo - what I call the "low-road"
scenario.  

Too often, the predominant approach is to resist or be in denial
in regard to migration and its implications for
societies.     

The second option is a "high road" scenario of facilitating and
managing human mobility and maximizing the many benefits that
migrants and migration can bring to societies of origin and
destination.  This means availing oneself of all options
including circular migration regional consultations, and
integration. 

III - Conclusion / Welcomes

As we look to these challenges, it gives me pleasure to see such
a diverse audience gathered in this room: governmental
representatives from all continents, civil society, the private
sector, as well as our partners from the Global Migration Group and
the UN system as a whole. 

I am particularly glad to see so many of our Geneva-based
colleagues here today, given that the month of July typically
provokes a great exodus from Geneva. 

I would also like to extend a very special welcome to those of
you joining us from further afield. 

It is my great honour to introduce to you Peggy Levitt,
Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College. With migration,
integration, transnationalism and social remittance at the centre
of her distinguished research career, her keynote address will no
doubt make for a stimulating, thought-provoking overture to this
workshop.  

Let me also greet the representatives of some of our UN partner
agencies as speakers at this workshop, including Ms. Florence
Laufer of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations, a close
partner of IOM.  

A warm welcome also goes to all the speakers.  Thank your for
agreeing to share your knowledge and perspectives over the coming
days, both at the regularly scheduled sessions and at two specially
convened side events. 

• The first, a selection of IOM's activities relating to migrant
  integration during the lunch period later today; and the
• Second, a presentation by the European Youth Forum (an IOM
  observer organisation) on practical ways to enhance the
  participation of young migrants in society during lunchtime
  tomorrow.  

In closing, let me wish you all the very best for be two days of
fruitful discussion and exchange on a topic that deserves our
support and attention.