Consensus at the UN’s High Level Dialogue on International
Migration and Development later this week on major opportunities
and challenges posed by migration could pave the way for much
needed action to dramatically improve the positive effects of
migration on development said the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) today.



The Dialogue, to take place at the United Nations in New York on
14-15 September, will be the first time the subject of migration
and development will be addressed at the UN at such a level and
comes at a time when migration consistently tops the political,
economic and social agendas across the world.



“The need to better match the global supply and demand of
labour is a key issue in the current migration debate. Resolving
this would not only have a significant impact on global economic
development but would also help to combat irregular migration
– an issue which represents the sharp end of the mismatch of
supply and demand,” said Brunson McKinley, IOM Director
General. “This event can do much to ensure that migration
becomes a potent force for development for all countries and
economies and IOM welcomes that.”



For many years, IOM, which will be participating at the High Level
Dialogue, has been calling for and working on the integration of
migration into development policy and planning, supported through
better research and data and for the creation of more comprehensive
and coherent migration policies.



Similarly, the Organization has been encouraging migrant diasporas
to become active players in the development of their own countries.
By helping them transfer some of their much needed skills and by
putting in place incentives to help invest in income generating
activities, diasporas can provide a critical boost to development.
IOM believes the cost of remitting money back home to families
should be reduced further and encourages the Dialogue to take up
this issue.



The business community plays a critical role in the migration
equation but has until recently been left out. IOM has itself
created a Business Advisory Board aimed at bringing this important
stakeholder into the migration debate in order to devise more
effective migration policies.



“The Dialogue represents an important opportunity for debating
and finally reaching a broad consensus on how to put migration at
the service of development. Based on such a general understanding,
the international community will be better positioned to define
concrete, useful tools that can really make a difference to the way
migration is managed. This way, the global economy would develop to
the benefit of all,” added McKinley. “It’s ambitious
but we need to be ambitious, and IOM is coming to New York with
concrete proposals.”

During the Dialogue, IOM will be presenting a multi-agency
evolving concept for an International Migration and Development
Initiative. It is aimed at helping address the need to better match
the supply of and demand for labour and invest in human resource
development, particularly in view of projections of aging and
declining populations in much of the industrialized world and
growing populations in the developing world. The proposal also
contains substantial technical assistance and capacity building
elements for governments, and opportunities for the private sector
to invest in its success.

A matching process would also have the added and important value
of providing greater protection to migrants and importantly to
female migrants who make up nearly half of the world’s migrant
population, and who are often vulnerable to abuse and human
trafficking.

IOM, which has begun the task of compiling and disseminating
on-line information on the vast body of existing migration law, is
also promoting a better understanding of international migration
law. An improved knowledge and understanding of the human rights of
migrants would not only result in the better treatment of migrants,
but is also more likely to have a knock-on effect in terms of
improved productivity and growth as well as greater social
cohesion.

These actions are crucial in achieving more humane, safe and
orderly migration flows and to making migration truly work for
development.