Belgium - IOM and the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP by its Spanish acronym), in cooperation with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), are this week organizing a two-day workshop in St. Lucia to discuss strategies and mechanisms for improved use of remittances to increase their impact on the development of migrant communities of origin.

Over 25 participants from governments, the private sector, civil society and diasporas of OECS states (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Barbados, Guyana, Haiti and Jamaica will take part in the event in St. Lucia’s capital city of Castries to share their experiences, debate ideas and carry out project development exercises.

The workshop is part of IOM’s European Union (EU)-funded project: "Strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to establish management models on migration and development policies."

According to World Bank estimates, the developing world received USD 414 billion in remittances in 2013. Remittance flows to countries in LAC grew by 1.9 per cent in 2013 to reach USD 61 billion. In the second half of the year, remittance flows began to recover, following a 13-month decline.

But remittances to Mexico, the largest remittance-recipient country in the hemisphere, contracted in 2013.  The positive impetus from the US economic recovery was partly offset by removals of migrants from the US.

The economic slowdown and unemployment in Spain and Italy, which are also large destinations of Latin American migrants, contributed to the slowdown in remittances to the region. In the medium term, improving employment conditions in the US point to stronger growth in remittances, which are expected to reach USD 81 billion by 2016.

For more information, please contact

Olivier Grosjean
IOM ROE in Brussels
Email: ogrosjean@iom.int
Tel: +32 2 894 92 35