Speeches and Talk
Date Publish

Sixth South American Conference on Migration

Distinguished Delegates

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to find myself once again in South America and to
express my great admiration for your continent, which I have been
privileged to visit several times until now.

I wish first to thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Leila
Rachid, and her staff at the Pro-Tempore Presidency of the SMC for
their dedication in ensuring the success of this Conference. I
would like to mention as well my appreciation for your
country’s dynamic policy in support of the coherence,
integration and work plan of the SMC/SACM. The Secretariat of the
Conference is also to be congratulated for its effectiveness and
professionalism.

Let me now turn now to the themes being discussed at this
Conference. Your deliberations during this Conference and its
conclusions will be key inputs for the Highlevel Dialogue on
International Migration and Development to be held at the UN
General Assembly this September.

There is no doubt: migration is one of the major issues of our
times. Given the current direction and character of globalization,
its importance can but grow, as will its complexity and the
associated political, human and development problems. All these are
the issues that you have been discussing since the South American
Conference process started seven years ago in Lima. Indeed, as you
know only too well, more and more people and countries are
increasingly being affected by migration which is, in turn, closely
linked to the development process. Migration globally engenders
benefits and costs not only for receiving countries but also for
countries of origin. Rapid rates of population growth in some
areas, a population decline in others, migration to and from some
regions as well as other critical demographic trends, including
ageing and urbanization, are impacting social, economic and
political parameters in almost all countries.

International migration and development mutually influence each
other. Their interaction is extensive and extremely complex.
Although there is considerable national policy interest in
exploring the root causes of international migration and its impact
on the countries of origin, destination and transit, understanding
the direction and magnitude of such effects is still limited.
Several recent trends, however, have led to increased attention
being given to these issues. Many developing countries are
encountering the loss of skilled human resources as well as the
constantly increasing brain drain phenomenon. Such countries also
do not take full advantage of the positive consequences of
migration through the effective use of the diaspora’s
contribution to the economic development of their countries of
origin.

There is much to be gained from the collaboration between
countries of origin and destination. They can forge partnerships
that foster the positive effects of migration and that promote
migration through legal channels. Such cooperation is all the more
urgent because migration takes place today in a context of enormous
demographic and economic disparities. Estimates indicate that
migration from developing to high-income countries is growing fast,
and this trend is expected to continue over the medium-term.

One strategy widely recognized today for ensuring that migration
contributes to the development of communities of origin concerns
remittances. In 2005, these totalled USD 18 billion for the 12
South American countries. By providing, for instance, access to
financial services, families of migrants can secure credit to make
investments. Another effective strategy is to reduce the costs of
remittance transfers; these fortunately are already being
lowered.

We should also continue to encourage the engagement of migrants
abroad in the development of their home communities and countries.
Various strategies are already being tried in many countries.
Several South American countries, such as Uruguay, Peru, Brazil and
Colombia - to name just a few - have articulated important policies
and programmes is this regard. These activities include:

  • direct and financial investment by migrants in their countries
    of origin;
  • support by migrant associations to their communities of
    origin;
  • transfer of knowledge and know-how, including through the
    internet, to countries of origin through networks of highly trained
    professionals;
  • growth of trade in ethnic goods for consumption by communities
    of migrants living abroad;
  • capacity-building that takes place in terms of human resources
    through return and circular migration flows.

Ladies and Gentlemen

With this overall perspective, I would now like to turn your
attention to THE HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(HLD). It is the very first high-level event of the United Nations
entirely devoted to migration and development. It thereby offers
States the unique opportunity not only to exchange with each other
the best practices in migration management but also to promote
cooperation in key migration fields. The HLD will take place at the
UN General Assembly in New York, in September 2006.

IOM has identified some key issues on which the HLD could
achieve progress. These are:

  •  Migration and Development: this dialogue can assist in
    bringing particular attention to the sharing of effective practices
    in the field of migration and development; mainstream migration
    into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and PRSPs; promote M
    & D indicators; reinforce the economic role of the diaspora;
    enhance the developmental potential of remittances.
  • Labour Migration: during this dialogue, States can work to
    develop a more effective global labour market as an investment in
    human beings; protect and support labour migrants; improve the
    security of remittance transfers while lowering their costs; and
    analyze the role of circular migration.
  • Human Rights of Migrants: here States can strive to improve the
    understanding and implementation of existing legal instruments;
    promote integration and combat xenophobia and racism.
  • International Migration Law: together, we could study how to
    take advantage of the political momentum offered by the HLD to
    increase awareness and effective implementation of existing
    international legal instruments; provide capacity building to
    countries in need of technical cooperation to implement them.
  • Managing Migration: we can also contribute to improve coherence
    in government migration policy making; foster dialogue between
    sending and receiving countries; support Regional Consultative
    Processes; strengthen coherence and coordination among agencies
    (for example, the Geneva Migration Group). Here, migrant women
    should find a prominent place and should play a strong role.

Madam Chair,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To conclude, I am glad that this Conference is focusing on the
development dimension of the migration issues. I would like to
encourage you to obtain concrete results from this Conference that
will feed the global debate on migration and development and, in
particular, the discussions that will take place in New York in
September 2006. Whatever form of cooperation you choose, it is
fundamental that the countries of destination and the countries of
origin and transition work together to resolve common issues - as
you are already doing within the South American Conference. The
trade-off between democracy and development in this region is no
longer an issue for discussion and I congratulate you all for
having accomplished this.

This meeting and your efforts today are a clear expression that
building new alliances and new bridges are the foundations for
tackling the migration challenges we all are facing. Our future and
destiny will strongly depend on these kinds of collaborative
efforts and I commend you for your vision and achievements.

Thank you!!