A/68/PV.25 General Assembly

I warmly welcome all present to this High-level Dialogue, whose overall theme is “Identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, while reducing its negative implications”. This meeting is held in accordance with resolutions 63/225, of 19 December 2008, and 67/219, of 21 December 2012. I am deeply honoured to be here today at the beginning of this important two-day High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development to discuss a topic that affects virtually every country in the world. The recent tragedy, last Thursday, off the coast of Sicily serves as a sad reminder of why our discussions on migration, particularly the protection and well-being of migrants, are both critical and urgent. I would like to begin my remarks today with a reference to my own country, the small island developing *1349787* 13-49787 (E) State of Antigua and Barbuda, where migration is both a bane and a blessing. We are a country of origin, so migration deprives us of the skilled workers we need for our development  — teachers, nurses, technicians and so forth. But the flip side of that coin is that some of our citizens who live and work overseas invest, engage in trade and create businesses back home. In 2012, we received $22 million in migrant remittances. At the same time, the people leaving our shores also make important contributions to their countries of destination, providing much-needed skills there and so enhancing growth. But we are also a destination country, welcoming thousands of immigrants from many of our sister islands in the Caribbean. They contribute to our national development and work to build better lives for themselves and their families. Over the next two days, the Assembly will focus on such individuals and many others from all over the world who leave their homes in search of better opportunities. Intuitively, we know that such journeys to new lands offer the potential for great rewards  — most, if not all, of us have also ventured from our own homelands. But how can we ensure that migration benefits the individuals as well as the societies and countries involved, while minimizing the downsides? As some here may recall, the General Assembly, at its sixty-seventh session, decided to hold this High-level Dialogue with the overall theme of “Identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, while reducing its negative implications”. That decision marked a turning point in a journey that began seven years ago, in 2006, with the first High-level Dialogue on the subject. We agreed that migration, which for so long had been deemed too sensitive an issue, deserved  — indeed, required — our collective attention and efforts. We also agreed that migration was not a zero-sum proposition, but that all could benefit, provided that migration was properly managed. And such management, I hasten to add, is a joint responsibility of countries of origin and countries of destination. Seven years later, our progress has been significant. First, at the United Nations, we continue to make progress, agreeing on many aspects related to international migration and development and the protection of migrants, while raising international awareness about the importance of the issue. A number of resolutions have been adopted in the Second and Third Committees of the General Assembly, and migration-related work is ongoing in the Economic and Social Council. Secondly, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, established after the 2006 High-level Dialogue, is serving us well as a venue for informal discussion, exchanging good practices and inter-State cooperation. Thirdly, civil society is working ever more closely with Member States in our quest to find practical solutions to concrete challenges. At the informal hearings held on 15 July in preparation for this Dialogue, civil society presented us with an action-oriented agenda for the next five years. Fourthly, the United Nations system is coordinating its work on migration better, through the Global Migration Group, and there is now enhanced collaboration with the International Organization for Migration. Fifthly, inspired by those new developments and in response to the realities on the ground, many Member States are experimenting with innovative migration policies. On 25 June, my predecessor, Mr. Vuk Jeremić, organized a panel discussion on international migration and development that clearly outlined the progress we have made so far. Panellists reminded us of the potential of migration as a force for development and the many hurdles migrants still face, and they acknowledged the progress made since 2006. Learning from our experiences in the past seven years, we should now take the next step. In line with our overall theme, the focus of our meeting should first and foremost be on practical measures and responses. That means setting realistic targets, committing to implementation and monitoring progress. In short, we must hold ourselves accountable in following up on our Dialogue; otherwise, our dialogue will remain just talk. Since the first High-level Dialogue in 2006, the face of migration has changed. Overall global migration patterns have shifted. In parts of Europe and North America, migration rates have slowed, while new destinations have emerged in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In some areas, intraregional mobility is on the rise. Agreements such as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy are removing obstacles to the free flow of skills, labour and capital. The Southern Common Market has introduced measures to promote the free movement of its citizens. In addition to open mobility for citizens, the European Union has developed portability standards for health care and pensions. Globally, the international community has experienced a series of crises related to food and fuel prices and economic and financial markets that have impacted countries around the world. Some countries have bounced back with impressive growth rates, while others have been slow to recover. The impact on migrants has varied; some migrants were forced to return home when their jobs abroad disappeared, while new waves of migrants were created. The backlash from the crisis has led to the resurfacing of racism, discrimination and intolerance. During economic downturns, migrants become easy scapegoats. We must take a strong stand against that. We need to redouble our efforts to ensure that the contributions of migrants are apparent not only to us, but also to the public at large. We have an important responsibility to get the message right. Protecting the rights of migrants must be the cornerstone of all migration policies. We have special responsibilities towards those migrants who are most vulnerable, especially undocumented migrants, women, children, youth and migrants stranded in humanitarian crises. “[R]ecognition of ... the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. Those words from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also apply in particular to the more than 230 million international migrants. This Dialogue about migration and development comes at a critical time for the United Nations, as we embark on what could be the Organization’s most far-reaching venture to date, that is, defining a global development agenda that picks up where the Millennium Development Goals left off. The past seven years have confirmed that well-managed migration reduces poverty, adds to human capital and contributes to global development. In 2012, migrants sent more than $400 billion in remittance flows, as compared to $126 billion in official development assistance. They also contribute to the transfer of knowledge, skills and technology. As the Assembly debates the parameters of the new development paradigm, we must ensure that migration receives its rightful place in the post-2015 development agenda. This Dialogue provides an important opportunity to make vital contributions to that endeavour. Over the course of the next two days, Member States will bring national experiences to the table, sharing their perspectives and good practices. They will agree on many things, and they will no doubt disagree on others. I trust that their deliberations will be informed by an acknowledgement of the joint responsibilities of both countries of origin and countries of destination to manage migration in an equitable manner. Our commitment is consistent with the principle of human dignity and celebrates the transformative power of human ingenuity, initiative and perseverance; our shared belief in the rule of law and the need for people to abide by it; our knowledge that societies that shut themselves off face stagnation and decline, whereas those that embrace diversity and opportunity reap the benefits; and, above all, our determination to improve the lives of the millions of men, women and children who are affected by migration on a daily basis. Change is never simple. It requires patience, perserverance and a firm belief in the ability of all people to live together peacefully. We will need to listen to each other, work together, forge consensus and break new ground. I am confident that we will rise to the occasion. We now have before us the text of the draft declaration, which I understand has already received our support. I wish to thank the delegation of Mexico for its valuable contribution to making that document a reality. Let me conclude by wishing everyone a fruitful discussion. I now call on His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Before I begin, let me just note that we need to look no further than this morning’s headlines to see the great importance of this Dialogue. Dozens of African migrants are reported to have perished in the Mediterranean Sea after the ship on which they were travelling sank. I offer my deep condolences, and I hope that we all take this as another spur to action. Seven years ago, we came together in this same venue and agreed that we could find common ground on international migration. We agreed that migration, which for so long had been deemed too sensitive to discuss, deserved and required our concerted attention. Seven years later, there is no doubt that we have come a long way. Today we are united in a joint declaration on the importance of migration to development, and on the protection of the rights of all migrants. That progress has been made possible by the climate of trust that we established at the Global Forum on Migration and Development. The face of migration is changing. Today migrants are coming from, and going to, more places than ever before. Almost half of migrants are women. One of every 10 migrants is under the age of 15, and four of every 10 migrants are living in developing countries. Given those complex realities, we need to work together, with courage and vision, while recognizing that our actions will have an impact on millions of women, men and children. In my report (A/68/190) to the General Assembly, I put forward an ambitious eight- point agenda to make migration work for all: migrants, societies of origin and societies of destination alike. Let me briefly outline my vision. First, we must do more to protect the human rights of all migrants. Too often, migrants live in fear of being victimized as the “other”; of having little recourse to justice; or of having their wages or passports withheld by an unscrupulous employer. We cannot remain silent. We need to eliminate all forms of discrimination against migrants, including those related to working conditions and wages. We need to create more channels for safe and orderly migration, and to seek alternatives to the administrative detention of migrants. I call on all Member States to ratify and effectively implement the relevant international legal instruments, including the International Labour Organization Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. I also urge Member States to engage with the relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms. Second, we need to lower the costs of immigration and migration. Global remittances, including to high- income countries, are expected to reach $550 billion this year and to surpass $700 billion by 2016. Yet every year, billions of those funds are withheld through unnecessarily high transaction fees. Moreover, countless migrants pay their life savings, and those of their families, to unethical recruiters and end up in debt bondage. Imagine what we could achieve if those funds were put to work for development, to send a child to school, pay for a medical visit or start a small business. Third, we must end the exploitation to which migrants are vulnerable, including human trafficking. Those crimes often perpetuate vicious cycles of abuse, violence and poverty, to which women and children are particularly vulnerable. We have a sound international legal framework to guide us in combating such crimes. Let us implement those instruments together. Fourth, we need to address the plight of stranded migrants. Migrants are often caught in situations of conflict or natural disaster. My Special Representative on Migration, Mr. Peter Sutherland, who has championed this issue, has made a number of concrete recommendations for protecting migrants affected by such crises. I am pleased to note that the United States and the Philippines have offered to lead an initiative to create a framework that would articulate clear roles and responsibilities for all involved. Fifth, we need to improve public perceptions of migrants. Migrants contribute greatly to host societies. As entrepreneurs, they create jobs. As scientists, they are engines of innovation. They are doctors, nurses and domestic workers and are often the unheralded heart of many service industries. Yet far too often they are viewed negatively. Too many politicians seek electoral advantage by demonizing migrants. While we should not ignore the challenges that arise from migration, especially in the context of high unemployment, we should dispel dangerous myths. But information is not enough. It takes leadership to reinforce positive messages about the benefits of migration. Sixth, we need to integrate migration into the development agenda. With discussions under way on the post-2015 development agenda and a new set of goals for sustainable development, the time is ripe to present a compelling case about why migration matters for development. My report entitled “A life of dignity for all” (A/68/202) includes the positive contribution of migrants as one of the transformative actions of the post-2015 development agenda. One litmus test of the new agenda’s inclusivity will be the degree to which migrants and diasporas are seen as development partners, and not left behind. Seventh, we need to strengthen the migration evidence base. We are fortunate to live in an era of information, yet reliable data on migration and its impact on development are often very hard to come by. Migration policies should be guided by facts, rather than hunches and hearsay. Eighth, we need to enhance migration partnerships and cooperation. The forward-thinking proposals of civil society now play an integral part in shaping our actions. We have also made progress in improving the coherence and coordination of the Global Migration Group, which brings together 15 United Nations entities and the International Organization for Migration. I encourage all parties to continue strengthening their collaboration. To that end, I have asked my Special Representative on Migration to meet regularly with the leadership of the Global Forum on Migration and Development and the Global Migration Group to identify shared priorities. Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety and a better future. It is part of the social fabric, part of our very make-up as a human family. It would be naive to overlook the costs, including the human costs. Yet even sceptics have to recognize that migration has become a fundamental part of our globalized world. It is our collective responsibility to make migration work for the benefit of migrants and countries alike. We owe that to the millions of migrants who, through their courage, vitality and dreams, help make our societies more prosperous, resilient and diverse. Let us intensify our work and be sure to follow up. Let me express my great appreciation to all the bodies and organizations that are devoting attention to this issue. Special thanks as well go to my Special Representative, whose advocacy and leadership have advanced the debate and improved our collective handling of this issue. Let us all make sure that the 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development becomes a watershed moment when we show the world that we can make a difference for the common good and our common future.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/68/L.5, entitled “Declaration of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development”. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt the draft resolution?

I should now like to consult members in relation to giving the floor to the following speakers: the President of the Economic and Social Council, His Excellency Mr. Néstor Osorio; His Excellency Mr. Tobias Billström, Chair of the Global Forum on Migration and Development; Mr. Ian Goldin, professor at Oxford University, as an eminent person in the field of international migration and development; and Mr. Gibril Faahl, Chair of the African Foundation for Development, United Kingdom, as a migrant representative. In my letter dated 2 October 2013, I proposed that those speakers deliver statements at the beginning of this morning’s plenary meeting. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to invite those speakers to make a statement at this meeting.

I now give the floor to the President of the Economic and Social Council, His Excellency Mr. Néstor Osorio. Mr. Osorio (Colombia), President of the Economic and Social Council (spoke in Spanish): It is an honour and pleasure to address the second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. As my predecessors have already pointed out, migration is a powerful tool for development, and that is the focus of the Economic and Social Council with regard to that phenomenon. International migration should be seen as a driver of global development, given its important contribution towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and its impact as a key factor for sustainable development. It should therefore be duly considered in the post-2015 development agenda. There is a clear need to better articulate and strengthen the links between migration and development and to promote a human rights-based approach in order to achieve the fullest potential that migration can give to development. Migration has the power to transform the lives of individuals and their families, as well as to shape societies in the countries of origin, transit and destination. When governed by rights-based policies, international migration can be an empowering experience that affords development benefits for migrants, their families and their societies in countries of origin and destination. Migration can contribute to human and community development through the accumulation of human capital, greater access by migrant households to social services and the increased participation of women in productive employment, inter alia. As the President of the General Assembly indicated a few minutes ago, every year billions of dollars are sent in remittances. In 2012, migrant families in developing countries received more than $400 billion in remittances. Remittances have proved to be a stable source of private financial resources that can improve the lives and well-being of tens of millions of families worldwide. The impact of the formation of transnational communities is also increasing. Groups in the diaspora contribute to strengthening economic and social ties among countries through their labour, skills, knowledge, ideas, values and cultures. They facilitate trade and technology transfer and channel foreign direct investment. The first High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development recognized migration as an intrinsic part of global development. As a result, the Global Forum on Migration and Development was established as a common platform to share information and best practices and to promote national, bilateral and regional cooperation. We have come a long way since the first High-level Dialogue, in 2006. The fact that Member States have been able to agree on a joint declaration as the outcome document of this second Dialogue (resolution 68/4) proves the significant progress made and the commitment that exists with regard to it. It is time to act more systematically and responsibly in countries of origin, transit and destination so as to put in place an action-oriented agenda that creates a safer and more transparent system of international mobility, one that protects the human rights of all migrants, enhances the positive contribution of migrants and migration to development, fosters cohesion in multilateral environments and improves the public perception of migrants and presents them as vital members of our societies. The report of the Secretary-General (A/68/190) has proposed a set of concrete actions. I wish to highlight some of them: first, protect and promote the human rights of all migrants; secondly, reduce the costs related to migration; thirdly, combat the exploitation of migrants, including the trafficking in persons; fourthly, improve the public perception of migrants; fifthly, give due consideration to migration in the post- 2015 development agenda; and, sixthly, strengthen and promote dialogue and cooperation and partnerships on migration issues. The overall objective of this event is to identify concrete measures to enhance the benefits of international migration and better address the particular issues it presents in terms of development. The United Nations should play a fundamental role in the follow- up to the High-level Dialogue through a coherent, comprehensive and coordinated approach. Given that the Economic and Social Council is undergoing an important review of its functions and mandates, we should also consider how it can play a significant role with regard to the complex interrelationship between migration and development. The Global Migration Group, made up of 15 United Nations entities and the International Organization for Migration, should continue to play a key role and to assess the progress in the field of migration and development. We are all aware that migration can provide a threefold benefit. Destination countries can benefit because migrants fill skills gaps and make up for labour and market shortages. Countries of origin can benefit through financial and cultural transfers. Migrants themselves can benefit both economically and socially. Yet migration also has costs. Measures should be taken to reduce the cost of remittance transfers. Important steps in that regard could include improving the regulatory framework for financial services and increasing transfer services through public-private partnerships. I believe that we all need to work on an effective global agenda while promoting and strengthening existing institutions and frameworks and improving the governance of migration on the basis of human rights at the international, regional and local levels. Cooperation with all those concerned is needed to facilitate the effective contribution of migration to development.

I thank the President of the Economic and Social Council for his statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Tobias Billström, Chair of the Global Forum for Migration and Development.

At the outset, I would like to say that I was deeply struck by the news of the tragic deaths of more than 90 migrants, including children and women, off the coast of the island of Lampedusa, Italy. That event cannot in a more alarming way illustrate the urgency for all of us at this High-level Dialogue to commit to action for a holistic approach to the multifaceted challenges arising from migration and development. When we gathered for the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in 2006, there was an overwhelming interest in the continuation of global dialogue on international migration and development. In response, the Secretary-General proposed the establishment of the Global Forum on Migration and Development as a venue for discussing such issues in a systematic and comprehensive way. Belgium offered to host the first meeting the following year. Since then, the Philippines chaired the Forum in 2008, Greece in 2009, Mexico in 2010, Switzerland in 2011 and Mauritius in 2012. Sweden is the current Chair of the Forum. The Global Forum is the most important and tangible deliverable in the field of migration and development to emerge from the last High-level Dialogue. More than 160 Governments have taken part in these annual meetings, with the goal of maximizing the development benefits for migration and minimizing its negative impact, especially on migrants. The Global Forum has built trust and helped shape the global debate on migration and development. The Forum has proved to be a successful and innovative process for holistic, frank and constructive dialogue. It offers a space for informal and voluntary dialogue among Governments on current and emerging migration and development issues. It is also a multi-stakeholder platform that brings Governments together with relevant stakeholders, including agencies of the Global Migration Group and other international organizations, civil society and the private sector. The Forum has been successful as it deals with substance relating to migration and development. It is open to all States Members of the United Nations, although it is a body that operates outside of the United Nations system. Government teams have been established around each year’s round-table themes, where Governments and other stakeholders share experiences and highlight examples of policies and practices, and thus learn from each other and establish partnerships. Over the years, States and relevant stakeholders have engaged in constructive dialogue around thematic issues, such as strategies for minimizing costs and maximizing human development, labour migration and mobility, diasporas, remittances, strategies for addressing irregular migration and enabling regular migration, the rights of migrants, policy coherence and mainstreaming, data and research, and the governance of migration and coordination of dialogue, as well as ways of involving civil society and the private sector. As for concrete outcomes of the Global Forum, we have records of good practice on bilateral labour arrangements, benchmarks, monitoring and licensing systems for recruiters and other intermediaries, the sharing of legal frameworks that enable mobility and skills circulation, the sharing of practices to facilitate productive investments and spending on health and education through remittances, among other things. When dealing with rights, the discussions in the Global Forum have focused not only on international conventions, but also on the shared responsibility to protect the rights of migrants and to engage with the measures that are in place so as to enable migrants to access social and economic rights. In that regard, the Forum has addressed issues relating to the portability of pensions, national examples of cost-effective health-care models and brain waste, as well as broader integration-reintegration development links. The approach focuses on the human and social capital of migrants and its contribution to development, in both source and receiving countries. From one year to the next, the Global Forum has successfully discussed selected themes in greater depth, while identifying new ones such as South-South migration, links between environmental change and migration as well as the role of migration in the post-2015 development agenda. The substantive work conducted within the Global Forum between the High-level Dialogue of 2006 and now bears witness to the success of the Forum in engaging with the evolving challenges and opportunities shaped by migration dynamics. That is also underscored in the recently concluded assessment of the first six years of the Global Forum, in which some 80 per cent of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the Forum process and an overwhelming majority of Governments considered that the process brought added value compared to other related forums. Indeed, the ever- increasing number of Governments that engage with the process testifies to that success. That is a very positive development. By sharing experiences and lessons learned, the Global Forum paves way for improvements in policy, programmes and practice. Ultimately, that will bring benefits for the countries of origin and destination and for migrants themselves. In conclusion, the Global Forum has become a major deliverable since the last High-level Dialogue. Its success in enabling dialogue, building trust and sharing experiences has been documented, and its working methods, building on informal and voluntary exchanges, have been critical for that success. As a global community, we should take further steps to strengthen such a positive achievement and ensure its sustainability. The success of the Global Forum cannot be taken for granted. It requires strong and consistent engagement by Governments and other stakeholders in the Forum process. We therefore encourage Governments to maintain their ownership of the Forum, to support it, to engage actively through a broad range of ministries in the thematic discussions of Government teams throughout the year and to continue strengthening the development focus of the Forum. As the current Chair, we are working in close partnership with the outgoing Chair, Mauritius, and the incoming Chair, Turkey, to move the process forward. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Migration, Mr. Peter Sutherland, has been an important link to the United Nations system, and his commitment has been crucial for the success of the Global Forum. I conclude my statement by inviting the Assembly to read the Thematic Recollection submitted to this meeting, for an overview of the issues discussed in the Global Forum over the years.

I now give the floor to Mr. Ian Goldin, Professor at Oxford University and eminent person in the field of international migration and development. Mr. Goldin: It is a singular honour and a privilege for me to be here today, and I thank you, Mr. President, for the invitation. The devotion of two days to this most important topic is a ray of hope for all of those who are concerned with migration and development. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Secretary-General on his report on international migration and development before us today (A/68/190). It highlights some of the evidence and provides an eminently sensible and concrete set of actions that, if taken forward, will advance the lives of many millions of people around the world. The progress made by the Global Forum for Migration and Development and in other initiatives, such as the recent Dhaka declaration, are additional rays of light in what is otherwise an extremely cloudy environment for migration and development. In country after country, major agenda items on migration are stalled and in some, even reversed. As in so many areas, decisions that are politically tough get bogged down in the gridlock of short-termism. Overcoming that in a world of hyperconnectivity and the empowerment of citizens and the pressures of daily politics and business is a major task for leaders, requiring them to translate the theories we know into actions and make the right decisions in a very tough political environment. We hope that the gathering weight of evidence that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change presented last week will unblock the logjam in climate negotiations. When it comes to trade, we have seen theoretical evidence and one conceptual framework after another that prove the importance of the trade reform stalled in Doha. We cannot allow that to happen in migration as well. The gathering weight of evidence on migration and development will, I hope, give strength to all of those who believe that they can overcome the constant stream of negative anecdotes and alarmist rhetoric that so paralyses progress every day. All evidence points to the fact that small changes made in migration regimes lead to much more significant economy-wide, nationwide gains for both the sending and the receiving countries and, of course, fundamentally transform the lives of migrants themselves and their families. There is no other area of economic reform where small incremental changes can so radically improve the lives of so many for so long, because such reform affects not only current generations; it has a lasting effect, as all of us here today know: we are all migrants. We would not be here, the United States would not be what it is, nor would any other society or civilization we know, without migration. Yet in our daily activities, we forget that. The founding fathers of economics, John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith and many others, saw the migration of peoples as absolutely central to economic growth and progress. They knew the central place of migration, and so it is a puzzle that their modern disciples believe in freedoms in many of the spheres the founding fathers talked about, but not in this one. Despite the fact that we have shown that globalization has improved the lives of more people more rapidly than any other process in the history of humankind, when it comes to migration we have the exceptionalism of denial — the exceptionalism that means that, despite hyperconnectivity and the flows of all other goods and services, matter and finance, there are now fewer migrants as a share of the population of the world than there were before the globalization process began, and relatively much lower levels than before the First World War, even though, of course, the absolute numbers are much higher, as population growth has increased. In my book Exceptional People, I take a forensic look at the evidence. John Galbraith called migration the oldest action against poverty that humankind has known and that is repeated in the evidence. The World Bank has shown in its modelling that changes as small as 3 per cent in migration flows would increase world welfare by more than $350 billion. Those numbers are much larger than commensurate changes in other areas of economic activity. Having reviewed all of the evidence, I have no doubt of the net economic benefits for sending countries, receiving countries and migrants themselves. Yet none of that evidence adequately accounts for the dynamic factors. And it is the dynamic factors that in the long term will make the difference to all of our futures. They will make the difference to the dynamism of each and every one of our societies. We know that from new evidence coming out of places such as Silicon Valley, where more than half the start-ups are thanks to migrants, as are half of the patents in the United States. As we will see with the latest flourish of Nobel Prizes, exceptionally gifted people who travel do exceptional things. But this is not only about exceptionally gifted people; it is about the unskilled too. Steve Jobs would not have started Apple if his parents had not migrated, and so it is in the dynamic effects over the long term. The problem is not in the evidence; it is in the politics. The problem is the short-termism and the focus on local costs and perceptions. The perceptions are not reflected in the evidence, whether it is that migrants bring down wages, or lead to reduced incomes, or are a burden on the tax system, social security systems, hospital systems or other. We know from the evidence that the perceptions are not correct. Yet we also know that we are not winning the political arguments. It is because, as in trade, the short- term and local costs tend to be very direct and very visible and are fanned by rhetoric. And yet the benefits are national, global and longer-term. We need leadership. We need evidence that is able to traverse from the short  to the long term. We need bottom-up actions at the community and national levels, and top-down actions at the United Nations and Global Forum levels. We must accept the real concerns regarding social cohesion, social security, undocumented workers and other concerns. Part of that is about accepting that we cannot place the burden of dealing with migration on local communities. We see that in the tragedies of Lampedusa today and in so many other places. Because the benefits are national and longer-term, it has to, in the end, be a national responsibility. Individual communities cannot carry the burdens of great influxes of people, of schooling, of education and other matters. The benefits are long-term and national. Migration issues have to be seen as something that national Governments take forward. We can all take small, incremental steps together. Through those steps and through bottom-up and top-down actions, I believe we will be able to make a fundamental difference. The Secretary-General’s eight-point agenda highlights many of the items that need to be addressed, namely, the major issues of rights, such as the question of pension portability and the simple ability of migrants to carry funds and remittances, which has been talked about by previous speakers. The data and research need a much broader perception. Data on migration remain an orphan of the system. The responsibility is on all of us for what we are able to do in terms of taking the agenda forward. For development, for developing countries and also for the most advanced countries, there is no more important debate in the world than this one. The task is to transform what we know into concrete actions in small steps, which will take the agenda forward. It is the right theme at the right place and at the right time. I wish the Assembly well as it seeks to do the right thing.

I now give the floor to Mr. Gibril Faal, Chair of the African Foundation for Development in the United Kingdom and migrant representative.

Six years after the 2006 High-level Dialogue, in these times of post-2015 reflection, we gather here again to discuss migration and development and to seek transformative new approaches. As I look out over the Hall, I see migrants everywhere: itinerant diplomats, first-generation immigrants and the many descendants of migrants who constitute diasporas in various parts of the world. The place is full of them. Given the fundamental and age-old nexus between migration and development, it is quite odd that we have not made as much progress in the field as would have been natural. As nation States, we operate within demarcated borders, jealous and protective of the proud sovereignty they represent. Yet ours is a world of acres of land and herds of people. It appears that we sanctify the acres of land and the privileges thereof at the expense of the herds of people and their humanity. We defame the scheming migrant who encroaches on our land and realm, not seeing the aspiring individual who yearns for a decent and good life for herself and her family. A change of attitude towards migrants and diasporas is imperative if a new partnership is to be established. Partnerships with diasporas need to be based on a solid foundation where suspicion and mistrust are allayed and tokenism surpassed. In these times when we are contemplating sustainable development goals for our world, one with Gaia-like global connectedness, we need new diaspora enlightenment. We need to be comfortable with respect to the transnational characteristics that define migrants and diasporas. We need to reaffirm the eternal virtues of transnationalism. Some may call us naive. Some many even think that we are sandal-wearing, bleeding-heart liberals. But we will have responded to the empirical needs of the contemporary fluid and amorphous twenty-first- century realities. As a distinct outcome of the High-level Dialogue, civil society proposes to collaborate with States during the next five years for measurable progress on eight points. We have the eight points in three languages and multiple colours for members’ delectation. The action plan is our memorandum of engagement, our writ of partnership, our deed of action. We acknowledge and express gratitude to the Assembly for accommodating civil society and diaspora voices in the proceedings. We hope that such cooperation will become deeper and even more cordial in future. Now we come before the Assembly and ask for its endorsement of the five-year eight-point action plan. As Peter Drucker, the Austrian-American management thinker, would have said: leaders do the right things and managers do things right. We call on the Assembly, as leaders, to endorse the outcome (resolution 68/4) of the High-level Dialogue. It will be a result — real and apt, true and fair. “I have spent many days stringing and unstringing my instrument, while the song I came to sing remains unsung.” That is the poetic caution given to us by Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali writer. In looking forward, I am reminded of the audacious advice of one of my colleagues at the African Foundation for Development, a non-governmental organization involved in funding development through diaspora actors: “Let States, migrants and diasporas, together, aspire for full employment.” That vision is big and noble enough to unite all of those who yearn to see decent jobs for all. In it, people will have the dignity to live off of the honest sweat of their brow; youth will be less receptive to destructive movements and nihilistic ideologies; and migration itself will become a genuine choice, rather than dictated by necessity or desperation. Perhaps the generation to come will not know of the grotesque horrors and human misery of dysfunctional migration. I see migrants with constrained resources and pressured circumstances extract their families from poverty within a generation. I see Governments, multilateral agencies and non-governmental organizations with massive resources and State privileges admit the self-evident failures of combating chronic poverty. I am a simple man. I made a deduction: perhaps those migrants know how to achieve development. It is indeed true that for many of those in diaspora making a contribution to the development of the country of origin and heritage is not seen as work, or the fulfilment of a political mandate, or even the heroic response to a twinge of conscience. For them, development is a way of life  — the very stuff of life  — the support of families, communities and countries. There are 200 million migrants. Millions of second-generation people in diasporas support 1 billion people in the developing world. Here we are a veritable partner for development. I urge the members of the Assembly, when they go back home, just as I urge the Secretary-General, when he reports on this Dialogue, to tell the world that migrants and diasporas are ready, able and willing; that States avow a new inclusive attitude towards transnational migrant diaspora; that we endorse a framework action plan for partnership. May they tell the world, so that all development stakeholders hear the news, that in this very place in 2013, we endorsed the heralding of a new partnership among migrant disaporas and State institutions. May they tell the world, so that cynics and sceptics, realists and optimist alike, will come to witness the triumphant hopes and indomitability of the migrant spirit.

In accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 67/219, I now call on Ms. Catherine Tactaquin, Executive Director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, United States.

I am pleased to address the Assembly this morning as a representative of global civil society. Our many diverse organizations and community members concerned with the health, safety, welfare and happiness of some 232 million in migration around the world today welcome the opportunity to share our proposal for a five-year action plan. The proposal was formalized in November 2012, has been supported by hundreds of civil society organizations worldwide and was shared through the United Nations and with various States as our contribution to this High-level Dialogue. Since the beginning of this year, some 600 civil society leaders and organizations have met in 21 regional and national events and convened again here in New York in July at the time of the informal interactive hearing organized by the Office of the President of the General Assembly to discuss this proposal and more. This has been an unprecedented level of participation of civil-society, certainly since the last High-level Dialogue, in 2006. Even during this week, some 500 global civil society partners have continued to confer across the street in the parallel people’s global action on migration, development and human rights. As we noted in the conclusion of July’s interactive hearing, we are mindful that we now stand at an important moment, one which we hope will be a crossroads between simply talking and taking deliberate action. While we recognize and very much support strategic thinking and planning to address the complex factors motivating migration, we are eager to identify durable solutions, the strongest rights protections and standards, opportunities for migrant and diaspora contributions and real partnership. We come here to help make a difference. We urge States to support our five-year eight- point action plan in considering the outcome document (resolution 68/4). Our hope is that the High-level Dialogue will launch an action agenda that will be both reasonable and ambitious. Our proposal focuses on eight points — that which also fall within the topic areas of the four round tables. Briefly, we wholeheartedly support the integration of migration into the post-2015 development agenda with a view to addressing the contributions that migrants make to development in countries of origin and destination, as well as better planning, policy- planning and coherence that can make migration more genuinely a choice and not a necessity, with greater gain than drain. In that context, we support the right to migrate and the right to remain at home with decent work and human security. We encourage models and frameworks to facilitate the engagement of diaspora and migrant associations as entrepreneurs, social investors, policy advocates and partners in setting and achieving priorities for the full range of human development in countries of origin, heritage and destination. We believe there must be reliable, multi-actor mechanisms to provide assistance and protection to migrants stranded in distress, beginning with those trapped in situations of war, conflict or disaster, whether from natural or man-made causes, and certainly with the same logic and urgency with respect to the migrant victims of violence or trauma in transit. The deaths off the coast of Lampedusa, as well as those of the hundreds of thousands and more of other migrants who have lost their lives in similar circumstances, reinforce that urgency. Throughout our proposal, we seek models and frameworks that address the rights and needs of migrant women in their specificity. Mechanisms must also consider the best interests of children in the context of migration, including their rights. We would like to see benchmarks for promoting the exchange of good practices and the enactment and implementation of national legislation to comply with the full range of provisions in international conventions that pertain to migrants, even outside the labour sphere, with particular concern for their rights in the context of enforcement policies  — rights to basic social protections and due process. Our proposal envisions a redefinition of the interaction of international mechanisms of migrant rights protection in the context of the United Nations normative framework and institutionalizing the participation of civil society in future governance mechanisms. Finally, but certainly far from the least of our concerns, we urge the identification or establishment of effective standards and mechanisms to regulate the migrant labour recruitment industry, and we strongly support mechanisms to guarantee a full and broad range of labour rights for migrant workers. This is in the context of decent work and ensuring the dignity of all migrant workers. Migrant workers’ rights cannot be protected through informal networks with no monitoring systems, no genuine participation by civil society and no reference to the normative framework agreed upon at the international level. Those are our recommendations for State action and, in some areas, action in partnership with civil society. Our emphasis is on strategic planning, rights and action, and we hope that States will agree that we can collaborate on several areas of convergence. Despite a life often touched by uncertainty, exploitation or trauma, our migrant families, friends, fathers, mothers and even children still hold to hopes and dreams for a better life and a brighter future, not just for themselves but for their communities, their new countries and their countries of origin. We members of civil society share those hopes and dreams and stand ready to support a five-year plan as advocates and partners: eight points, five years, collaboration and action.

In accordance with resolution 67/219, this High-level Dialogue consists of four plenary meetings and four interactive multi-stakeholder round tables. Round tables one and two will take place today at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m., respectively. Round tables three and four will take place tomorrow, also at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m., respectively. The round tables will be held in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Conference Room 2 will serve as an overflow room for the plenary meetings, and Conference Room 1 will serve as an overflow room for all the round tables. Round table one, entitled “Assessing the effects of international migration on sustainable development and identifying relevant priorities in view of the preparation of the post-2015 development framework”, will be co-chaired by Her Excellency Ms. Rita Claverie de Sciolli, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, and His Excellency Mr. Heikki Holmás, Minister for International Development of Norway. Round table two will focus on “Measures to ensure respect for and protection of the human rights of all migrants, with particular reference to women and children, as well to prevent and combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons and to ensure regular, orderly and safe migration”. It will be co-chaired by His Excellency Mr. José Antonio Meade Kuribreña, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, and Her Excellency Ms. Anne Richard, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration of the United States. Round table three is entitled “Strengthening partnerships and cooperation on international migration, mechanisms to effectively integrate migration into development policies and promoting coherence at all levels”. It will be co-chaired by His Excellency Mr. Patrick Abba Moro, Minister of Interior of Nigeria, and Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga, Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland. The fourth round table will take place tomorrow afternoon from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will focus on “International and regional labour mobility and its impact on development”. It will be co-chaired by Mr. Shahidul Haque, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and Mr. Konstantin Romodanovsky, Minister, Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation. Members are reminded that tomorrow at 5.30 p.m., at the concluding plenary meeting of the High-level Dialogue, the co-Chairs of the round tables will present summaries of their discussions. Additionally, I would like to draw attention to other organizational matters pertaining to the conduct of meetings. We turn first to the length of statements. In order to accommodate everyone inscribed on the lists, I urge speakers to limit their statements to four minutes, on the understanding that that does not preclude the distribution of more extensive texts. I appeal to speakers to cooperate in that request in view of the limited time frame, and I also appeal to speakers to deliver their statements at a normal speed so that interpretation may be provided properly. To assist speakers in managing their time, a light system has been installed at the speakers’ rostrum and will function as follows: a green light will be activated at the start of the speaker’s statement; an orange light will be activated 30 seconds before the end of the four minutes; and a red light, which means danger, will be activated when the four- minute limit has been reached. On that positive note, we will now begin the debate.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Member States agreed to include population and migration factors in their development strategies. They also resolved to promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants and to avoid practices that might increase the vulnerability of international migrants. Migrants and migration are relevant to all countries of origin, transit and destination. These are global issues with economic and structural imperatives. The economic causes of migration, concentrations of wealth and dual labour markets benefit powerful interests and reinforce power structures that often blame, penalize and criminalize migrant workers who are caught in that web. The organizational and political challenge is to overcome those biased approaches and work towards facilitating orderly and safe mobility, while recognizing that greater mobility is inevitable in the twenty-first century. Migrants are responsible persons who are trying to earn a living and provide for their families. Migrants should be aware of their rights and be protected by States, as States exercise their sovereign right to determine who enters, leaves or remains in their territory. The root causes of migration need to be openly discussed and addressed so that migration becomes a matter of choice rather than a desperate necessity. International economic imbalances, poverty and environmental degradation, the absence of peace and security, human rights violations and weak judicial and democratic institutions are but some of the factors affecting migrants and international migration. Dialogue among all actors and agencies and the link between migration and development need to be clearly presented and openly discussed at the public and policy-making levels, including with the media and civil society. Such discussions should lead us to the construction of lasting solutions based on an understanding of the shared problems and common goals, as well as coordinated policies and frameworks. The positive impact of migration on development hinges on orderly migration governance that, inter alia, protects human rights and migrants’ well-being. More focus should be placed on the human development potential of migration, including the potential of improving the lives of migrants and their families, as well as migration’s contribution to the economic and social growth and the development of countries. In that regard, more should be done to address the negative public perceptions of migrants and to combat xenophobia and discrimination directed against them. In the context of migration, countries of origin and destination should recognize their role and responsibility in providing access to social services, health care, education and cultural identities. That broad scope of assistance in migration and development dynamics should be developed to provide lasting, just and effective national, regional and international measures. The theme “Identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important link to development, while reducing its negative implications” opens the door to defining the role of migration in development. It also promotes policy coherence and institutional development, including the factors in migration, into national development policies and plans and the post-2015 development agenda. It should offer an understanding of the opportunities and obstacles and ways to explore solutions. I shall stop there. In the interests of time, I invite delegations to read my statement, which has been distributed in the Hall.

The latest tragedy near the southern Italian island of Lampedusa once again underlines how critical this High-level Dialogue is and how much international action against human trafficking is overdue. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for the vision he has laid out. Migration is one of the critical issues that were not properly factored into the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. That has to change, and the time is now. The puzzle must be addressed boldly, as has been said. No society can pretend that it has not benefited from migration. The truth must be the basis for action. In addressing the complex interrelationship between migration and development, we should be firm and bold in both our individual and collective actions. First, we need to recognize the constructive role that migrants play in the development process of origin and destination countries. On balance, migration is a boon rather than a bane to the development of all, a fact on which there should be consensus. It therefore follows that it should be a matter of self-interest for all to make sure that the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migration status, are respected at all times. It has now been recognized that women account for half of all international migrants at the global level. Most of them are subjected to abuse, with little help coming their way. In formulating global migration policies, therefore, priority should be given to ensuring that the aspect of gender is given the serious attention it deserves. With regard to Africa, many of our migrants live in different parts of the world in search of better living conditions. Their contributions to the development processes of their respective countries and to the continent in general has now become significant. In many of those countries, the share of remittances in the gross domestic product has begun to rise. On the other hand, in many instances, there are reasons for concern about the loss of skilled personnel and qualified professionals. It should not be too difficult, given goodwill, to find a formula whereby, without infringing on individual rights, the interests of countries of both origin and destination could be accommodated, thus enabling migrants to play a role in the development process of their respective countries. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the International Organization for Migration for its efforts in that regard, as well as the Global Forum on Migration and Development and other member agencies of the Global Migration Group. Now that we have embarked on a process of designing the next generation of global development goals, we ought to make sure that the significance of migration for development is accorded due recognition. In other words, migration should be integrated, as the Secretary-General so rightly emphasized, into the new global development framework. It is therefore proper that the declaration we have just adopted (resolution 68/4) calls for such collective responsibility.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member States of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). We welcome the holding of this second High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development, in accordance with resolution 67/219. We are confident that the outcome of the meeting will provide guidelines for the work of the United Nations on the issue of international migration and its relation to development. CELAC agrees with the importance of integrating the issue of international migration into the development agenda. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, human migrations, in their diverse characteristics and implications, should be appropriately and systematically addressed by every State and by the international community in general, making use of the valuable contributions of the relevant entities and actors at every level. It is therefore essential that all States, regardless of their status as countries of origin, transit or destination, work together to find solutions to the challenges that international migrations pose today. We firmly believe that the most appropriate framework for a comprehensive approach to migration and development is that provided by the United Nations, especially the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, since they are best suited for all States, in full equality, to synergistically and symmetrically express their perspectives and interests. CELAC is of the view that we should discuss the nexus of migration, development and human rights. Furthermore, we believe that facilitating the regularization of migration is fundamental to the human development of migrants, their families and countries of destination, considered together, and should be a central element in the deliberations. In that context, CELAC defends migration as a human right and the recognition of migrants as persons with rights. In that sense, we believe that migrants should be at the centre of States’ policies on migration. We should realize that it has been difficult to hold a formal, ongoing discussion of international migrations at the multilateral level, owing to the differing focuses of current policies. Therefore, this is a forum where States, regardless of their situation as a countries of origin, transit or destination, can participate on an equal footing. That is why we defend and affirm the significance of this meeting. CELAC acknowledges the significant work and technical cooperation provided by the International Organization for Migration, the principal promoter of existing regional forums for discussing the topic of migration. We also acknowledge the efforts of States in the Global Forum on Migration and Development and their support for dialogues on the subject in every region. However, those efforts have not been enough. The way they function should be reviewed, particularly with regard to the contributions of the regions with developing countries to the Global Forum. International migration policies require a comprehensive approach. Human mobility across national borders affects many areas and policy scenarios. Among other factors, we should take into consideration the human rights of migrants and their families, States’ security needs and efforts to combat treatment of and trafficking in migrants and to facilitate growth and development, as well as the impact of migration on highly sensitive areas of social concern such as health and attention to the most vulnerable groups. It is also important to address the structural causes of international migration and to align international economic policies with current development models. The members of CELAC recognize the importance of helping migrants maintain links to their countries of origin, including their cultures, languages and traditions. It is also important to highlight the contributions they make through tourism, investment and family remittances, among other activities. However, those cannot be seen as a substitute for foreign direct investment, official development assistance, debt relief or other public development policies, since they represent private financial resources. Member States should therefore work together to arrive at a formula that does not affect migrants or States negatively. The contributions of migrants to host countries’ social and economic development still do not receive the recognition they deserve. We reiterate our concern about the continual worsening of working and employment conditions for migrant workers and their families, as well as their lack of access to fundamental rights, which has been aggravated by the current economic, financial and environmental crisis. It is important to recognize and address the complex circumstances that migrants confront on the road to their destination countries, as well as their increasing vulnerability to violations of their human rights. We therefore believe it necessary to ensure that migration is well ordered, secured and informed. We reaffirm the importance of effectively protecting and promoting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, especially women and children, regardless of their migratory status. That must be done in a comprehensive and balanced manner, while recognizing the roles and responsibilities of origin, transit and destination countries and avoiding approaches that may increase their vulnerability. It is time to undertake concrete actions to protect migrant workers, primarily women, so as to ensure their protection against the various forms of exploitation and violence they face, and to secure effective means of ensuring respect for their dignity, fair working conditions and productive and decent jobs, and achieving their full integration into the labour force. We urge all States to ensure that human rights, especially of vulnerable groups, are promoted, protected and fully publicized. While we recognize that Governments have the right to establish and implement policies to regulate migration flows into and within their territories, CELAC regrets the adoption of regulations or provisions, at whatever level of the Government, that criminalize the act of migration and criminalize people who migrate with irregular migratory status. We reiterate the call to all Member States to end the detention of migrants who have not committed any crime and to unconditionally respect their dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms. I am sorry to have spoken more than a minute too long. The rest of the CELAC statement is available in the Hall. I conclude by reiterating that CELAC stands ready to work together with other Member States and effectively participate in and contribute to appropriate initiatives on migration, in particular international migration. We will continue to do so in a serious and constructive manner.

We are delighted to note a wider recognition of migration and human mobility as a key driver and enabler of development at the national and global levels. We commend the Secretary-General for including migration as an area for action in his report entitled “A life of dignity for all” (A/68/202). Let me briefly share some of Bangaldesh’s perspective, realities on the ground and expectations. My detailed statement is being circulated. Well over 8.5 million of our people live and work abroad. The majority of them are migrant workers, especially in the Middle East and Asia. Bangladesh has emerged as a key player in the global migration process. Over the past three decades, we have been experimenting with various modalities for governing migration for migrants’ well-being. To bring in greater transparency and accountability, to bring down the cost of migration and to reduce abuse of migrants, Bangladesh has adopted Government-to- Government arrangements. We are experimenting with a Government-to-Government labour mobility model for recruiting Bangladeshi workers bound for Malaysia. It has drastically brought down the cost of migration and reduced abusive practices. Let me pose a few questions that need to be addressed. The world of 2030 and beyond will be fundamentally different, and what migrants can do to secure a stable, safe, healthier and productive society in the world beyond 2015 is a crucial question. Gaps in collaboration and partnership are equally critical. Partnerships between Government and non-government, Government and business, origin and destination countries  — these must be innovative and forward- looking. Let me flag a few issues for consideration at the High-level Dialogue. First, migration in its totality and in all development dimensions has to be integrated into national development discourses and planning processes. In Bangladesh, we have already developed Vision 2021, the long-term perspective for Bangladesh to emerge as a middle-income country. Secondly, migration is all about an individual’s freedom and choice. In some cases, it is a question of personal survival. The securitization of migration, therefore, can no longer be optional for development or human security. Thirdly, in an uncertain and often conflict-ridden world, the protection of migrant workers caught in crises must also be addressed. That is an area we still address through ad hoc arrangements, as, for instance, in the recent experience in Libya. In that regard, we value the contribution made by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Fourthly, the private sector and civil society remain principal stakeholders in migration governance and in ensuring safe and dignified migration. Optimal results and beneficial outcomes from migration can be achieved only if the State, the private sector and civil society act in concert. Fifthly, in all migration-governance initiatives, migrants’ well-being should remain our utmost priority. I shall now address a few aspects that Colombo Process members would like to emphasize for reflection at the High-level Dialogue. First, factual evidence has established that migration has a positive effect on many areas of development. Today’s globalized world benefits not only from trade, capital and technology but also from information and ideas. Many destination countries have greatly benefited from the talent of migrants, including in diverse areas of economic importance to destination countries. We need to ensure that migration is included in national and sectoral development policies, as well as in poverty-reduction strategies and national adaptation action plans. Secondly, partnership is key in migration and development and, eventually, for equitable and sustainable development. To harness that potential, policy coherence at the local, national, regional and global levels needs to be strengthened through cooperation and by establishing global partnerships in the post-2015 framework. Partnerships at the global or regional levels need to address aspects such as the recognition of skills, the matching of skills and jobs, and facilitating training and skills development. Regional consultative processes, such as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, can further deepen cooperation in this area. Thirdly, we must ensure the protection of migrants in a holistic manner. Actions in origin countries need to be matched in destination States in terms of legislation, enforcement measures, information-sharing and awareness measures. Greater openness is needed to allow people to move across national boundaries. Fourthly, a key objective of the High-level Dialogue is to identify ways to enhance the benefits of migration for both origin and destination countries as well as for migrants. The fundamental human rights of migrants must be upheld to realize the full benefits of migration. Indeed, all aspects of labour migration that impact the dignity, rights, welfare and well-being of migrant workers need to be addressed. All stakeholders must be involved in ensuring safe and regular migration. Bilateral and regional consultations must also be sustained. Finally, we value and deeply appreciate the continued support and contributions of IOM. We also believe that IOM’s past experience and expertise have the potential to contribute to global migration management. It would be important to focus on a paradigm that would set the scope for the essential mandate of IOM, facilitating its work within the framework of relations with the United Nations. Since 2006, the High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development has emerged as a useful forum for Governments to discuss opportunities and challenges in migration. We would like to emphasize the need for concrete outcomes towards establishing an effective monetary mechanism from the Dialogue. That must be our contribution to the betterment of the lives of migrants, allowing them a safe, orderly and dignified migration. We look forward to the developments over the next two days with expectations.

At the outset, I would like to convey my appreciation to the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session for organizing the High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development. I also sincerely welcome the eminent persons who have contributed to the dialogue. I speak on behalf of the least developed countries (LDCs). In the past few years, the phenomenon of migration has increased in scope, grown more complex and had greater impact. Factors contributing to the changing scope of the problem are demographic transition, economic growth, the economic and financial crisis, climate change and the deterioration of the environment. We are aware of the role played by factors such as endemic poverty, unemployment, underemployment, the lack of socioeconomic prospects, discrimination, marginalization and even social exclusion. Migrants generate significant benefits for the host country and for the country of origin. A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that migrant workers contributed more in terms of taxes and contributions to social security programmes than they received in terms of individual social services payments. The migration of highly skilled workers, also called the brain drain, causes enormous losses in human capital for least developed countries. That loss could considerably affect the provision of essential services, tax revenues and the growth rate of certain countries. Migration can also generate pressure for an increase in salaries, causing inflation in the countries of origin. Migration is a factor whose importance we cannot underestimate for LDCs in the context of globalization. The world has made significant progress in integrating peoples under the momentum of globalization, which forces the dismantlement of barriers. Opening borders has been limited to freeing markets for goods and capital. The integration of the workforce continues to pose colossal challenges related to the negative discrimination that affects those workers. There is a double standard that must be corrected by making renewed efforts to harmonize the system of the flow of goods and persons. Providing services has great potential. We call upon the international community to take effective measures to liberalize markets for the free flow of service providers under Mode 4 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services. That could also contribute to reducing fraud and human trafficking. Efforts should be made to eliminate the exploitation and discrimination experienced by migrant workers, to treat them fairly, to give them decent working conditions, to give them access to education and health services and to recognize their status. According to the Migrant Workers Convention, employers must pay all the recruitment fees for foreign workers, including the unskilled. We should form a large coalition to set and apply initially acceptable standards to receive migrants and to give them decent living conditions. That would have a positive effect on the well-being of those individuals. While large foreign firms established in the LDCs benefit from very generous systems for transferring their profits to their countries of origin, migrant LDC workers must pay exorbitant fees for the transfer of their funds. Transaction costs are extremely high, especially from Africa and the Pacific, sometimes 12 per cent of the amount being transferred. According to forecasts, flows of funds from migrants will be approximately $414 billion dollars in 2013 and $514 billion in 2016. That provides an idea of the volume of monies spent on transaction costs. We must facilitate transfers of migrants’ funds, because that would have considerable consequences for the countries of origin. It is up to the Governments and private service providers to work towards that end. Countries of destination should make provisions for the transfer of funds to the migrants’ country of origin without restrictions. The objective is to reduce the average from 10 per cent to 5 per cent within five years; that objective has to be reaffirmed. The question of the use of funds transferred by migrants merits particular attention as well. It is important to ensure that funds are used for productive activities and for development. Countries of destination should create frameworks for economic activities conducive to that. Countries of origin should do likewise. That way, diasporas will be able to provide information and to work in the countries of destination to promote integration into the banking system of those sending and those receiving monies, thereby increasing their capacity to save and to make investments. On the margins of the fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, which was held in Istanbul from 9 to 13 May, least developed countries signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of a pilot programme in the framework of the establishment of a body to monitor the funds transferred by migrants from LDCs. That pilot programme is intended to collect, analyse and disseminate data on the transfer of migrants’ funds in four pilot countries. The studies have been carried out and allow us to define the outlines of that monitoring body. It is important that the initiative continues to benefit from assistance required by its development partners in order to take shape. I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of the LDCs group to the Government of Turkey, which provided a generous grant for launching the monitoring body. Diaspora networks also serve as channels for transmitting knowledge, information and know-how in two directions between the countries of destination and those of origin. Researchers, scientific experts and technological experts living abroad made large contributions to the economic miracles realized by a number of countries in the second half of the twentieth century. That phenomenon has transformed the brain drain generated by migration into a brain gain. Given the large number of qualified people from LDCs living abroad, it is important to set up frameworks for agreement with countries of destination to enable diasporas to further contribute to the development of LDCs, including through business and investments. That could involve the issuance of bonds and the development of competency-transfer programmes. In that context, particular attention must be paid to mobilizing the competencies and the savings of the diaspora so as to finance productive investments. We thank the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for devoting its most recent LDC session to that issue. Migration should be considered from a humanistic and humanitarian standpoint, with a view to improving the precarious living conditions of millions of migrants. Global partnerships are best positioned to promote joint measures towards that objective. The issue should be integrated into the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals, with a view to promoting the evolution of a world without borders in which all of humankind will be able to fully benefit from mobility and face the ongoing challenges. Goals and targets should be set to reduce the costs of migration, including recruitment, visas and passports, residence permits, health insurance, children’s education, remittances and integrating the production capacities of LDCs to promote development. Genuine coordination at the international, regional and subregional levels is therefore necessary.

According to United Nations data, the Russian Federation is the second most popular destination for migrants, owing largely to some of the consequences of the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. On a temporary or ongoing basis, about 11 million foreign nationals and stateless persons are in Russia. Russia’s general course of action is determined by its migration policy. Its main priority is the protection of the rights and freedoms of both Russians and foreign nationals who reside in Russia. Our migration legislation is continuously undergoing improvement. We have developed and continue to modernize immigration mechanisms to attract qualified specialists, for whom a broad array of preferences and privileges, including tax benefits, have been introduced. There are specific legal documents for less-qualified migrants, and there is a particular focus on developing programmes to assist migrants in adapting and integrating. We fully honour our humanitarian obligations on international protection and eliminating statelessness. The institute for readmission is also up and running. As a result of those and many other measures, the number of legally working foreign nationals has doubled over the past three years, with a resulting significant decline in illegal immigration. We have found a way to replace the administrative detention of illegal migrants. The Secretary-General spoke about that. New information technologies have led to full knowledge of the names of all foreign nationals who have exceeded the authorized duration of their stay. My country continues to work to promote greater accountability through the management of illegal migration flows. In that context, the burden of responsibility falls first and foremost on unethical employers. I can say with certainty that illegal migrants represent the most vulnerable and defenceless members of society in States of destination. Many illegal migrants become victims of crime. In spite of the steps already taken, including humanitarian measures, there remains an enormous amount of work to be done to minimize the problem of illegal migration. I believe that dealing with the problem should be of interest to both States of destination and States of origin. In conclusion, I wish to emphasize that no single State is in a position to respond alone to today’s immigration challenges. An ongoing dialogue focused on regional specificities is necessary. Such cooperation continues to develop among the member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Since 2007, the Russian Federation has been carrying out active work together with our colleagues as part of the council of heads of migration services of member States of the Commonwealth. That platform has visibly demonstrated its success as an effective cooperation mechanism. In fact, the Russian Federation, with its partners, is forming a labour confederation; individual components have already been successfully implemented as part of the customs union and continuing Eurasian integration. The joint statement on behalf of the States parties of Commonwealth, circulated at the Dialogue by its Chair from the Republic of Belarus, presents a detailed view of Commonwealth accomplishments — I recommend it to the Assembly. Russia is continuing its active participation in the work of the Global Forum on Migration and Development. We are strengthening cooperation with various United Nations agencies and international organizations. We are convinced that the dialogue should always be people-centred. Unconditional respect for people’s rights and freedoms is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a core principle of Russia’s policy. We welcome the future work of the Global Forum and the dialogue as an important platform for cooperation on migration issues and thank the organizers for their efforts.

At the outset, let me join others in thanking the President for organizing the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. The rise in global mobility, the growing complexity of migratory patterns and the impact of such movements on development have all contributed to international migration becoming a priority of the international community. The theme of this high-level event, “Identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, while reducing its negative implications”, provides an opportunity for us to reflect on measures to review current policy options and to seek ways to enhance our resolve in addressing the plight of migrants. Namibia attaches great importance to this Dialogue, since it provides an opportunity to collectively take stock of our achievements since the most recent High-level Dialogue, in 2006. However, challenges still remain, and we should recommit ourselves to addressing them. The event also provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to work towards a new global agenda and identify measures to help promote the role of migrants as agents of development and make migration an integral part of the global development agenda beyond 2015. One important outcome of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was that we, as Member States, agreed to mainstream migration in our development strategies. We also emphasized the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants to protect them from potential violence and abuse. Namibia has made significant strides in updating the laws that govern migration, particularly with regard to the protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants. We are engaged in a process of revamping our migration policies with a special emphasis on key migration management areas, such as migration and development, facilitation and regulation. We have also created an interministerial coordination committee on migration management, consisting of key State and non-State actors, which is responsible for policy development. Those measures are aimed at providing us with a platform to address challenges related to migration and development. Our effort in that regard is driven by the realization that the link between migration and development has the potential to turn economies around. Sending, transit and receiving States have all recognized that fact, hence the debate on the subject has become very critical. International migration is a global phenomenon that is growing in scope, complexity and impact. Today, virtually all countries in the world are simultaneously countries of destination, origin and transit for international migrants. Traditional migration patterns are complemented by new migratory flows, fuelled by changing economic, demographic, political and social conditions. Because of the contribution it makes to development, migration has also become a pressing policy priority for every State. Namibia reiterates that, to ensure equity, security and human dignity, Member States should pursue labour migration policies that include measures to prevent abusive practices and promote decent employment for migrants. Such policies, legislation and programmes should not overlook the fact that women and children migrants often find themselves in irregular situations and in unregulated sectors of the economy, or the victims of traffickers or smugglers, and thus subject to many forms of violence and abuse. We need to put in place measures to combat such evils while at the same time facilitating the flow of lawful migrants. The countries of origin from which those workers come and those in which they work must share the responsibility of lessening the burden on them by protecting and promoting their rights. That can be done by enhancing the supervision and regulation of international labour migration and engaging in international cooperation in the interest of promoting migrants’ rights and preventing abusive conditions. Development gains from migration for the countries involved and the protection of the rights of migrant workers are inseparable. Such development gains are significant not only for the origin countries, but also for the destination countries where migrant workers provide their labour. International migration will remain an important component of the United Nations development agenda. Now, as we ponder the post-2015 development agenda and the formulation of sustainable development goals, we should ensure that international migration is fully mainstreamed into them. Moreover, while recognizing that migrants play an important role in development, we must encourage our nationals to use lawful channels of migration so that the risks of exploitation and trafficking are minimized.

At the outset, allow me to begin by associating my delegation with the statement made by the representative of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. This discussion of the issue of migration and its links to development gives us an additional opportunity to deepen the dialogue that began in 2006 and consider new developments. The issue is of particular importance in view of the consultations on the post- 2015 development agenda. The World Migration Report 2009-2011 shows that migration is not exclusively a North-South phenomenon, but one that also flows South-South, and, with the new migration dynamic, one that will, in addition, affect the countries of the North. It is universally acknowledged that migrant workers contribute to the economic growth of the countries where they are employed, given the labour shortages in those countries. Similarly, migrants’ remittances help raise the living standards of their families, and therefore contribute to the fight against poverty. However, the migration of highly skilled workers  — or the “brain drain”  — has a negative impact on the development of many countries of the South. Selective migration policies accentuate that phenomenon. Moreover, African countries face other forms of migration constraints on account of conflicts and natural disasters, in particular drought and desertification. As a country of origin, transit and destination, Algeria, which hosted Africa’s regional meeting on migration and development in 2006, reaffirms its commitment to work in good faith on the transnational issue of migration. The free movement of individuals should be among our priorities, since that is how the universal yet unique nature of the respective histories, cultures and civilizations that have enriched humankind has been affirmed. The growing interdependence of our globalized world cannot accommodate the gulf that, in our region, separates the northern shores of the Mediterranean and their fortresses of prosperity from the southern shores and their poverty. Credible alternatives are needed to put an end to selective migration policies, especially those advocating absolute security, the limits of which are now obvious. In that regard, the urgently needed and appropriate response to the flows of illegal migrants, many of whom Algeria welcomes on its soil, is to work together to create the conditions for shared prosperity. Algeria calls for the protection of the rights of migrant communities abroad as an integral part of human rights, and for migrants’ protection from discrimination and acts of racism and xenophobia. Efforts must also be made to quell Islamophobia and the extremism that uses Islam as a tool and distorts its universal values and its tolerance. The multidisciplinary nature of migration, together with the contrasting interests of countries of origin, transit and destination, should lead us to develop global strategies to manage migration. Those can be greatly enhanced by the implementation of international instruments, in particular the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. Organized and coordinated migration is within reach. Working together, we can join our efforts at the regional and international levels to achieve our common goal within the framework of a long-term strategy articulated around the 2015 Millennium Development Goals.

Allow me to join previous speakers in expressing our sincere appreciation to the President of the General Assembly for the diligent way he is leading the work of this second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, an event of great importance in our efforts to develop mechanisms for managing migration on a global scale. As a country with a long migration history, and as a source of, transit country for and recipient country of migrants, Mozambique is committed to strengthening cooperation at all levels to ensure a balanced management of migration flows, taking into consideration the existing policies and legal frameworks. Mozambique, as a source of migrant workers, has its citizens working in various countries, where they are a contributing factor to growth and development and a significant source of revenue for their own families and their country of origin. The first High-level Dialogue recognized that migration was a social phenomenon intrinsic to human nature and motivated by various dynamics of a cultural, political, economic and environmental nature. Mozambique is part of a regional economic community, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the development history of which has been influenced by the movement of people through various member States and motivated by, among other things, social, security and economic reasons. Therefore, the geographic contiguity of SADC member States, their historical, sociocultural and linguistic ties and their interdependence and complementarities highlight the fact that migration is an inevitable dynamic in the process of enhancing our regional economic integration. In that regard, our approach to migration issues is aimed at consolidating and enhancing the pillars of regional integration processes enshrined in the SADC Treaty through increased harmonization of policies and strategies for the better management of migration as a factor contributing to the development of our countries. Guided by those principles, we have put in place political and legal frameworks on labour migration based on, among other things, the SADC Treaty, the Protocol on Labour and the Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons. Those regional frameworks take into consideration the African Common Position on Migration and Development, which creates the necessary enabling environment for integrating and implementing migration issues in national, regional and continental development agendas. The Global Forum on Migration and Development, established as a follow-up mechanism to the first United Nations High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development, has been considered a valuable platform for streamlining the debate on policies and strategies related to the management of labour migration and a way to further align States’ positions. In that regard, one of the most important aspects to be highlighted is the acknowledgement that, notwithstanding its role in and contribution to development, international migration poses complex challenges resulting from the dynamics of an increasingly globalized world. The challenges that have been at the centre of our concerns are related to the need for better protection mechanisms for the rights of migrant workers and their families, including remittance transfers, health care and safety at work. In the same vein, the management of migration raises concerns related to the need to ensure the necessary balance between development and national, subregional, regional and global security, considering the fact that the destabilizing activities of organized criminal groups, including terrorists, are increasingly undermining national borders and our security architecture. In conclusion, we reiterate the call for the international community to continue to exert its best efforts to strengthen bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation in order to promote legal, safe and orderly migration.

I wish, first of all, to express our deep sorrow, in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, regarding the death of those migrants whom we read about in the news just this morning. It reinforces the importance of this High-level Dialogue that we are holding today. Last Saturday, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas spoke in the general debate (see A/68/PV.19) and put migration on the agenda. It is an issue that is front and centre for the Bahamas. It has the potential, if not carefully managed, to destabilize all that we are seeking to create: the best little country in the world. We sit in the middle of a number of countries that are sources of illegal migration to us, notwithstanding the best efforts of all of the Governments concerned: Haiti to the south of us and Cuba to the west of us. The country to which migrants go is the United States. The Bahamas therefore often finds itself in a vortex that is not of its own making but the consequences of which we often have to live with and withstand, and we are often the object of forces and policies that affect us but that we are powerless to control. This High-level Dialogue is welcome as yet another opportunity to ensure that our friends around the world are aware of the serious consequences that we face from illegal migration. The Dialogue is therefore important to us first and foremost as a means of stopping undocumented illegal migration to the Bahamas. We have good relations with all Governments around us. Governments are, however, sometimes undermined by forces beyond their control  — criminal elements, ideologies and policies that run counter to common sense, and the dictates of bad economies. What we know, however, is that if we have the will to stop illegal migration, we can. We can do so by ensuring that there is cooperation against trafficking and smuggling; that we reject ideology and adopt common sense; and that we work together to solve the economic problems of our countries and region. The Bahamas endorses the views contained in a statement that was delivered on behalf of the Caribbean Community region here at the United Nations regarding important issues that must inform any efforts to elaborate the post-2015 agenda, including the development of sustainable development goals, targets and indicators: first, addressing the root causes of migration, so that migration is by choice and not by necessity; secondly, combating the trafficking and/or smuggling of migrants; thirdly, protecting migrants against human rights abuses, racism, ethnocentrism and xenophobia; fourthly, improving data, especially disaggregated data, on international migration, including forced migration; fifthly, facilitating the flow and use of remittances to support development; and, finally, strengthening dialogue and cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination. The preparatory work on the topic makes it clear that no sustainable solutions can be achieved unless the aforementioned imperatives are adopted. We are committed to working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the region and the world at large to help resolve such migration issues. Our future, our survival and our identity depend on it. The Bahamas would also like to propose a final outcome from this High-level Dialogue, namely, the establishment of a permanent forum on migration and development. And in conclusion, the Dialogue should guarantee that the Bahamas will become not a casualty of migration but rather a beneficiary of documented, sustainable development.

At the outset, I would like to join other delegations in welcoming the convening of this High-level Dialogue. As a small developing country faced with many competing needs, priorities and development challenges, Botswana attaches great importance to the issues of migration. Migration is a complex phenomenon common to all countries and regions, whether they are places of origin, transit or final destination. At the heart of the problem we find human beings, who migrate for various reasons. Since the adoption, in 1990, of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994, the issue of migration remains one of the key challenges facing the world today, with economic, cultural and social implications. We recognize that significant progress has been made since the adoption of the Conference Programme of Action. But although much has been achieved, Botswana believes that more needs to be done to provide a comprehensive solution and response to the challenges of international migration and development. We believe that this High-level Dialogue is a timely and useful forum for expanding the debate and consultations on the vital issue in question. The Dialogue also comes at an opportune time, as the international community moves beyond the Millennium Development Goals and towards a post- 2015 development agenda. Botswana has a rich migration history. Before independence, our people crossed international borders, especially to neighbouring countries, mainly in search of employment. The income earned by migrant workers was used chiefly to support their immediate and extended families at home at a time when the country was classified as among the poorest in the world. In the post-independence period, Botswana has witnessed both the continuation of outbound migratory movement and a significant rise in the number of migrants coming into the country. Over the years, however, we have seen changes in demographic trends and dynamics. Today Botswana has become a net receiver of migrants attracted by positive economic indicators in successive decades. Botswana continues to benefit from regulated migration, both outbound and inbound. Many of the migrant workers coming into the country provide highly specialized services in areas of economic and social development, such as education, health and engineering. Conversely, the country continues to deal with the challenge of the emigration of highly skilled workers — the “brain drain” — as well as with irregular migration, which negatively affects the provision of basic services. While we recognize that international migration can be a positive force for development in countries of origin, transit and destination, we are also mindful of the challenges that many countries, especially in the developing world, continue to face in managing international migration. Botswana believes that a balanced approach is needed in seeking ways and means to maximize the benefits of migration and minimize its negative impact. To that end, we remain open and committed to learning from other countries’ best practices and experiences. I would also like to stress that international migration should be addressed not merely from an economic point of view but through a more holistic approach that fully integrates human- rights and gender-equality perspectives. As human mobility continues to increase, we share the view that no country can manage international migration alone. Botswana therefore recognizes the importance of international cooperation and partnerships on migration matters. In that regard, we continue to work closely with partners such as the International Organization for Migration in various areas, which include training immigration and law- enforcement officers on border management and procedures. Lastly, in view of the ongoing discussions on the post-2015 development agenda, we note the emphasis placed on the role of migration and its contribution to social, cultural, political and economic development, as well as the importance of integrating population dynamics into a future development framework. In that regard, we believe that the outcome of this High-level Dialogue will make an important contribution to the discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. I wish to conclude by reaffirming Botswana’s commitment to supporting the international community’s efforts to ensure that international migration issues continue to receive priority attention at the global level.

On behalf of the delegation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important meeting. The timing of this meeting is apt, given the ongoing global discourse on the post-2015 development agenda and the potential that migration presents for the achievement of sustainable development goals. Nigeria associates itself with the statement delivered by the Minister for Defence, National Security and Immigration of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Nigeria believes that a discussion on the nexus between international migration and development would assist the global community in addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by migrants at the points of origin, transit and destination. There is no doubt that migration is a key factor in the development of countries of origin, transit and destination. That has been amplified by the report of the United Nations High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the post-2015 development agenda, which clearly placed poverty eradication and development within the context of human rights. Nigeria emphasizes the need for coherence in migration governance through a comprehensive framework in order to ensure a coordinated and holistic approach to the challenges encountered. In that regard, Nigeria has developed a national policy on migration, which is awaiting endorsement by the Federal Executive Council. Furthermore, the National Assembly is considering a bill to establish a diaspora commission. Similarly, Nigeria stresses the need for national authorities to develop migration-data management strategies, because it is on the basis of evidence and statistics that migration programmes can be planned to be more responsive to emerging trends and contextual issues. In that regard, Nigeria has concluded a strategy for a common template for migration-data management that has been validated by stakeholders, including State and non-State actors. Nigeria therefore emphasizes the need to establish further intergovernmental platforms for frequent dialogue on migration as strategies for raising global awareness about the benefits of an effectively managed migration system and its potential for development. Our Government has developed a process of continuous engagement among Government institutions and civil society organizations in a periodic national migration discourse that is aimed at creating the conditions required for safe, predictable and regular migration. Migration has been an integral part of human history and progress. It has also proved to be a vehicle for social reconfiguration within the context of human capital development. Migration provides social benefits for migrant households in areas such as health care, education and technological advancement. Promoting safe and regular migration, therefore, should be an important focus of this Dialogue by creating more flexible channels for resource exchange. In 2012, Nigeria was ranked the fifth-largest recipient of remittances through the banking sector. The amount would be higher if informal remittances were taken into account. That figure amounted to $20.5 billion in 2012, second to exports as a source of foreign-exchange inflow and representing 8.1 per cent of our gross domestic product. The challenge for Nigeria is to design and establish mechanisms to encourage remitters to channel some of those resources into investments that would benefit some of the critical areas of unmet development needs. Nigeria therefore calls for a global partnership in that regard. One vital concern that deserves the immediate attention of the global community is the impact of climate change and terrorism on migration. In Nigeria and the greater Sahel region, cases of floods and drought in recent times have resulted in increased numbers of internally displaced persons and huge economic losses. We are therefore of the view that any discussion on migration must take into account the importance of reducing greenhouse emissions and other parts of the carbon footprint, while acknowledging that severe changes in the climate will increase internal and external migration, thereby posing substantial threats to the security of States. There have been numerous cases of deportation of migrants worldwide without consideration for their human rights. The Government of Nigeria stresses that migrants, irrespective of their migratory status, should be treated humanely and their dignity should be respected. We condemn acts, manifestations and expressions of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against migrants and the stereotypes applied to them, including on the basis of religion or belief. In that regard, Nigeria recommends that, while migrant smuggling and human trafficking must be addressed in a comprehensive way, impunity must also be reduced by the enactment of national legislation and the strengthening of law- enforcement efforts at the subregional, regional and international levels. In our national efforts to provide sufficient information to prospective migrants and encourage safe and regular migration, the Government is giving priority to the establishment of a migrant resource centre. Nigeria is also providing support to the “passport to safe migration” project being implemented in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States Commission and the support of the Spanish Government. Migration is being given priority attention by the Government in view of the high incidence of deportation of Nigerians. Consequently, measures are being adopted to institutionalize the assisted voluntary return and reintegration programme so as to better provide settlement services to returned migrants, humanitarian entrants and refugees. We are also working to improve access to services, address special settlement needs and develop the skills and confidence of returned migrants. Finally, Nigeria wishes to state that migration is a natural phenomenon that, if managed properly, has abundant potential for the exponential development of countries of origin, transit and destination. Nigeria affirms that migration is a veritable tool for the eradication of poverty. We therefore support the call for its inclusion in the post-2015 development agenda.

The Republic of the Gambia sees migration as a phenomenon that affects developed as well as developing countries. Its implications, negative and positive, transcend the borders of any one nation, as every country in the world is either a country of origin, of transit or of destination. The Gambia is therefore cognizant of the integral role that intraregional migration plays towards reaching its development goals. The Gambia hosts many nationals from countries in its subregion and beyond. Those migrants have spurred development in many spheres, serving as a catalyst. If we delve further into this phenomenon, we can conclude that migration is rewarding to people coming from countries where the general economic situation is worse than that in the receiving country. In the case of the Gambia, both unskilled and highly skilled migrants aged between 20 and 30 years make up a workforce that serves an attractive basis for further investment. The Gambia furthermore recognizes that migration is not devoid of challenges. There is, in the first place, the reality of irregular migration, which often involves our young men and women endangering their lives in dilapidated boats on the high seas and during long treks across the desert. In many cases, such daring ventures are fatal. Meanwhile, all the migration restrictions in advanced industrialized economies have provided further impetus for this new trend. While we all strive to promote free trade and the free movement of people, most developed countries continue to place restrictions on the movement of people. The Gambia shares the concern of developing countries that essential skills for the development of our region and the continent have been lost, further weakening the already inadequate capacity to meet our development challenges. Many parts, if not all, of the continent are affected by a shortage of qualified human resources, resulting in part from the large-scale departure of our professionals and university graduates. Thousands of African professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers and managers, leave our shores each year. While those movements may have some limited beneficial effects in developing countries, this “brain drain” is a handicap for sustainable development. We acknowledge that migration is an agent of development, but we cannot ignore the downside of migration and the problem of the brain drain. The migration of skilled workers, together with the scarcity of qualified health personnel, engineers and so forth, highlights one of the biggest obstacles to our achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the health, education and agricultural sectors. We are concerned about the failure of many rich countries to develop their own human resources and their preference to instead recruit staff at the international level. That trend affects developing countries, which invest a great deal to train their nationals, only to lose them to rich countries. The migration of such skilled people therefore creates a paradox of reverse development. Furthermore, the resultant brain drain heightens the dependence of developing economies by compelling us to resort to spending huge resources on foreign expertise in many areas. The Gambia acknowledges that the key to a prosperous country is in the hands of the young generation. The young constitute a major component of the country’s human capital. If they are effectively utilized through gainful employment, they will be the dynamic drivers of poverty-reduction efforts through long-term economic growth that creates more employment. The Gambia collaborates with other countries, civil society organizations and development partners, especially the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in addressing illegal migration. Furthermore, migration and development have been mainstreamed in our national development agenda. The Gambia has a coherent poverty-reduction strategy anchored in the programme for accelerated growth and employment 2012-2015, which is the country’s development blueprint. Another policy initiative of the Government is the priority employment programme, whose overall objective is to create an enabling environment for employment creation in order to develop a skilled, versatile, dynamic and efficient workforce. The goal is to provide opportunities for wage-earning and self —-employment in both the formal and the informal sectors of the economy. In 2011, a number of young people graduated from the programme’s pilot phase training on mobile phone repairs. The green industry project, launched by His Excellency President Al Hadji Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, seeks to create employment for Gambian youths who risk their lives on the Atlantic Ocean or trek across the desert in search of greener pastures in developed countries. The national youth service scheme, started in 1996, is also designed to provide the young with employment skills. It emphasizes self-reliance and is aimed at discouraging illegal migration. To date, the scheme has trained thousand of Gambians in almost 22 occupational fields, such as car mechanics, carpentry, tailoring and so forth. The national enterprise development initiative is tasked with empowering young Gambians through the provision of training in entrepreneurship, giving loans to operate businesses in the informal sector and business advice in order to ensure investment sustainability. The Gambia recognizes that remittances are one of the developmental effects of migration. Although such effects are felt most acutely at the individual and household levels, they are also felt at the community and national levels. Hence, while remittances are privately earned transfers, they play a significant financial role in developing nations. The Government of the Gambia acknowledges the significant contribution Gambians in the diaspora are making towards the development of our nation. In conclusion, it can be seen that the Gambia recognizes the huge advantages that migration can confer by spurring development, yet there are immense challenges that the phenomenon poses to development. Therefore, with a view to harnessing the potential benefits of migration and development, the Gambia has initiated development projects that are proving useful in curbing illegal migration, on the one hand, and in improving the skills of our youth and increasing options for the development of our country and its people, on the other.

Sweden aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the European Union and its member States. Much progress has been made since the first High- level Dialogue, in 2006. We have been moving towards a common understanding of the positive development impacts of migration. It is clear that migrants and diasporas can become crucial actors for development. Not only do they send remittances to families and communities, they connect countries by investments and trade. Their skills and ideas enrich economies and societies. Development is about expanding the choices of the poor and vulnerable. Today, we can claim with certainty that the millions of people who move, contribute to that process. In fact, they are intrinsically part of it. Mobility brings prosperity. The potential for even greater contributions is nevertheless immense. Better-tuned Government policies and cooperation can make that difference. Therefore, I believe that we should focus on making further progress in a few key areas at this Dialogue. First, as one of the main outcomes, I hope to hear strong commitments on the role of migration in the post-2015 agenda in line with the proposal by the Secretary-General. The new development agenda needs to recognize migration as an enabler of the relevant development goals, and we need to develop global partnerships to that end. That will help national planning commissions, bilateral development cooperation agencies and multilateral development agencies to incorporate migration in their development analysis, plans and monitoring efforts. Secondly, Governments, employers and civil society should make stronger and more systematic efforts to empower migrants. Migrants will bring about more development if their fundamental rights are respected, and when they are protected against exploitation, discrimination and abuse. We need to enable and facilitate access to rights and ensure the effective implementation of existing human rights frameworks. Thirdly, Governments should assist migrants so that they can bring value to foreign labour markets at the actual level of their skills and qualifications. If we want to bring about greater, positive development outcomes, Governments should work more closely on the validation and recognition of skills. We need to make commitments to reduce the transfer costs of moving and the costs and risks of recruitment. Working with employers, we also should improve the match between the demand and the supply of labour, so that migrants respond to relevant national labour market needs. Fourthly, when we invite migrants to our labour markets, we need to make sure that they have the means to integrate. We should better inform the general public about migrants’ positive contributions. If we want settled immigrants and members of diaspora communities to bring more back to their countries of origin, we as Governments need to facilitate their involvement and provide adequate tools and frameworks. Fifthly, for the sake of the migrants’ and their families’ well-being and the enhanced portability of skills, we also need to facilitate the portability of earned pension rights. Those are five areas where tangible progress is needed and possible. Those Governments that put in place enabling legal frameworks and embrace partnerships are likely to facilitate mobility and positive development outcomes in all those areas. Well- managed migration can thereby bring mutual benefits. Measures are certainly important at the national level, and I will provide just one example. In Sweden, a reform has opened up the Swedish labour market to people from outside the European Union. It has been praised by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as one of the most liberal to be initiated by an OECD member. We are also preparing proposals on enhancing circular migration for mutual development gains. National action can feed into regional and global cooperation. Sweden has taken an active part and provided leadership in the Global Forum on Migration and Development. As the current Chair of the Forum, we build on the experiences of and the progress made during the time of our six predecessors. In fact, setting up the Global Forum after the first High-level Dialogue was that Dialogue’s most tangible result. I fully support the Secretary-General’s statement that this forum has become indispensable. Today, it is the only global platform for the frank, open and trust-building exchange of experiences and good practices. In that context, I would like to acknowledge the significant contributions of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Sutherland. I take this opportunity to call on the Secretary-General, through his Special Representative, to continue his work on identifying priorities for international cooperation on migration, to stimulate the global debate and to initiate broader analysis and proposals regarding migration in the post-2015 development agenda. Sweden is ready to contribute actively to such initiatives. I would also like to call on the co-Chairs of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development to bring the issue of migration into the Group’s discussions. All relevant United Nations agencies and the International Organization for Migration, as the lead migration agency, should have migration and development firmly on their agendas. Strengthened coherence and cooperation within the Global Migration Group should be encouraged not only in New York and Geneva, but also in the field. In conclusion, we as Governments can take significant steps forward, together with all stakeholders, to further improve the potential contribution of migrants to development. It is up to all of us. Let us move ahead in partnership.

At the outset, we extend our most heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the migrants who perished in the Mediterranean Sea today off the shores of Italy. This painful tragedy should compel us to attach even greater interest to this issue within the framework of our discussion on international migration and development here today. I should like, on behalf of my country, to associate myself with the statements made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and of the African Union. The delegation of the Sudan appreciates the opportunity presented by this High-level Dialogue on the issue of international migration and its integration into and incorporation as an objective as part of the post-2015 development agenda. We are aware of the close relationship between migration and development, as well as the positive and negative impacts of migration on States of origin and of destination. This meeting affords us the opportunity to discuss that issue, too, in its many dimensions. In this respect, the issue of migrants’ human rights in destination countries should enjoy the same level of attention as efforts and sacrifices to achieve development in those countries, in conformity with the principles of international agreements in the field of human rights. Another issue of importance for this and other meetings that will lead to the outcome document is that of compensation for States that have seen their workers, their best brains, flee abroad. They should be compensated in line with the resources that they have invested in the education of those workers, including professional training. It should take the form of assistance to cover the local shortfall and guarantee that successive generations of qualified professional workers are available for countries of origin and destination alike. The Sudan has adopted a law to prevent the illicit trafficking of human beings on the basis of international efforts to regulate safe migration, in particular international migration. The Sudan complies with the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which prohibits the use of migrants for immoral work and the harming and abuse of migrants. Our history, both recent and distant, shows that we have always welcomed migrants. We have done so despite our very difficult economic circumstances resulting from the unjust unilateral sanctions imposed against the Sudan and from the fact that our debt was not written off in conformity with the comprehensive agreement reached in that regard. The Government of the Sudan attempts to help Sudanese citizens working abroad. We have set up agencies to help them and to study the issue of migration and its impact. We have also established a national council to assist migrants. All these bodies work under the direct leadership of the Council of Ministers of the Sudan. The Sudan is both a sending and receiving country of workers and migrants, as well as a country of transit on various levels. We therefore have a great deal of experience in the field of migration issues. We attach high priority to this meeting and have high expectations of it. International migration in all its forms and the impact thereof at the national and international levels should be taken into consideration. The Sudan stands ready to continue its cooperation with all the relevant actors in drawing up development goals for the post-2015 period.

On behalf of the executive branch of the Republic of Angola, let me express my joy at and gratitude for the invitation to participate in this great event. The topic under discussion is of pivotal importance, as migration is a hot topic and a political priority for the majority of the States Members of the United Nations. As is well known, migration dates back to prehistoric times and is motivated mainly by the search for better living conditions. In the globalized world in which we operate today, there is a growing migratory movement caused principally by political, economic and social factors, and in many cases by armed conflicts. For several years, the Republic of Angola was marked by a wave of emigration due to the fratricidal war that devastated the country and the unfavourable economic climate that was prevalent then, which led many Angolans to abandon their country in search of a better life in various parts of the globe. With the achievement of peace in 2002, Angola now enjoys political and social stability, which has allowed considerable economic growth. That has resulted in the return of Angolans from the diaspora and a massive influx of immigrants from various parts of the world, particularly from Asia, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It is our belief that the influx of immigrants to Angola is useful for the country’s development, especially in this phase of national reconstruction. The Angolan Government recognizes that international migration is part of the globalization process and is an important factor for the development of both countries of origin and destination. However, illegal immigration in Angola is a matter of concern for the State, especially because of its economic, demographic, social, cultural and security consequences, which make it a permanent concern for the Angolan State. Therefore, in order to strengthen the status of immigrants, the Republic of Angola is currently reforming its immigration policy, a legal instrument of vital importance. The reformed policy will define, among other things, mechanisms to be observed by immigrants in order for them to settle legally in Angola and to find suitable conditions for their integration into society and their participation in the country’s national reconstruction process now under way. That will allow them to earn an income, which will enable them to improve their living conditions in this increasingly globalized world. Angola has been adopting political, diplomatic, judicial, legislative and administrative measures to promote and ensure a healthy and smooth immigration system geared towards economic and social development and the protection of the human rights of immigrants, especially among the most vulnerable, including women, children and the elderly. Among the various measures being taken, we would like to highlight the construction of temporary housing centres for illegal immigrants, the opening of border checkpoints and crossing points, the issuance of identification documents to border residents  — a laissez-passer, for example  — and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation with States and international and regional organizations. However, the fight against illegal immigration and the promotion of regular migration is the responsibility of Member States, in partnership with international organizations and civil society. There is a need to elaborate and adopt at the highest level an international strategy for managing migration flows. We believe it is essential to establish cooperative relations between countries of origin and/or transit by entering into bilateral and multilateral agreements on migration. In that regard, the Republic of Angola has signed bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements on migration issues with several countries, focusing on neighbouring countries within the context of the Southern African Development Community and the Economic Community of Central African States. Moreover, Angola has been actively involved in regional and international conferences on the management of migration promoted by the African Union, the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Observatory of Migration. In conclusion, we would like to appeal to the United Nations to support, through its specialized agencies, Member States and regional organizations in their policies aimed at efficient management of migration flows. Similarly, we think it is appropriate to identify strategies in this forum to allow Member States to strengthen the exchange of experiences and other provisions, so that migrants are not seen as a factor harmful to the socioeconomic policies and cultural rights of host countries.

First of all, I would like to express our appreciation for the organization of today’s High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. We associate ourselves with the statement made by the representative of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. It is common knowledge that, since the first High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, some progress has been made in strengthening cooperation in this area. However, as yet the most effective mechanisms for the protection of the rights of all migrants have not been fully engaged, and awareness of the complex and multifaceted nature of the migration process is lagging. We hope that the second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development will provide a broad and efficient platform for a constructive discussion and an assessment of the impact of international migration on sustainable development, and that it will also identify priorities for the post-2015 development agenda. We believe we should focus our efforts on searching for ways to enhance cooperation and partnership on issues of international migration and the protection of the rights of migrant workers. Recognizing the importance of migration issues, the Government of Tajikistan has been implementing measures on the legislative regulation of the migration process. Since 2000, various consistent and targeted institutional measures aimed at regulating labour migration have been implemented and the structures for bodies that manage migration have been developed. In 2001, the concept of labour migration abroad from the Republic of Tajikistan was adopted, according to which labour migration is considered an integral part of the national employment policy. In 2010, in order to develop and implement an effective labour migration policy, the Republic of Tajikistan developed a national strategy for labour migration abroad for the period 2010 to 2015. Currently, Tajikistan is implementing a programme on professional training for labour migrants. Today, their number has increased from 18 to 71, and their network covers the entire country. Within this framework, migrants receive training in 48 of the professions and trades most in demand. I would like to dwell on the issue of the social protection of migrants. A report by Tajikistan on the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was considered by the Committee on Migrant Workers at its sixteenth session, held in Geneva on 17 and 18 April 2012. The report covered work done in the field of the social protection of the families of migrants. As for the social protection of migrants from Tajikistan in destination countries, almost all bilateral agreements between Tajikistan and the destination countries have provisions concerning ensuring their rights and their social protection. I wish to take this opportunity to speak briefly about a negative aspect of international migration: human trafficking. As one of the worst forms of human rights violations and freedoms, human trafficking has become the most urgent global problem. We believe that more attention should be paid to strategies aimed at protecting and rehabilitating the victims of human trafficking. The formation of regional and international mechanisms of cooperation to combat human trafficking is an important component in this struggle. Tajikistan is gradually implementing a comprehensive programme on combating human trafficking for 2011- 2013. In conclusion, I would like to note that my delegation supports the Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at this High-level Dialogue (resolution 68/4). Meanwhile, I wish to underscore that implementing that declaration successfully depends, in many respects, on the practical, agreed-upon and coordinated measures and steps to be undertaken by both origin and destination countries.

The Philippines, as a major country of origin for labour, has pioneered a system of managing temporary contract migration that has been recognized as a model by the international community. It is founded on a strong legal and social framework and is known for its comprehensive State policy of protection of the rights of migrants, regardless of their status, which covers all phases of the migration cycle. It serves as one of the pillars of the Philippine economic, social and foreign policy. Notwithstanding this long-tested model, the management of the migration of more than 10 million overseas Filipinos, who live and work in more than 200 countries and annually contribute $22 billion in remittances, continues to present many development challenges. President Benigno S. Aquino III has articulated a development goal of sustainable inclusive growth and decent work for all, where remittances are leveraged to spur investment and growth and migration for work is envisioned as a genuine option, and not a necessity. In this High-level Dialogue, the Philippines supports a migration and development agenda on decent work for migrants and their families that is anchored in the shared principles of transparency, responsibility, accountability and mutuality of benefits. We support the reconvening of the Dialogue every five years to assess its progress and to take stock, considering the results of dialogue processes such as the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue and the Colombo Process, among others. The Philippines supports a post-2015 migration and development agenda that can be pursued through national, bipartite and multilateral arrangements, with the following objectives. There should be respect for the universally recognized rights of migrants and their families, and legal, ethical and orderly migration should be promoted. The gender dimension and migration’s impact on women and children, particularly those in domestic work, must be addressed. Effective access to fast and fair complaint mechanisms and judicial remedies is needed. There should be mutual recognition of skills and professions, and recruitment agencies must be regulated and monitored. Migrants should have access to social security and health care, and social security and pension rights should be portable. “Return home” programmes are needed for effective reintegration. Faster, safer and cheaper remittance transfers are important. Assistance to returning distressed migrants and trafficked persons is required, as is international action against trafficking and human smuggling. The United Nations must lead multilateral action for the fast and safe return of migrants caught in crisis situations. With the support of Member States, this post-2015 agenda can be measured through a jointly agreed set of global migration and development indicators to establish benchmarks for good practices and decent work for migrants and their families. With the support and commitment of all Member States to the post- 2015 agenda and its global migration and development indicators for good practices, as well as those from social partners and civil society organizations, it will certainly help strengthen the foundation for global peace, security and prosperity for all.

At the outset, I would like to express, on behalf of Tunisia, our deep solidarity and sadness over what happened this morning near Lampedusa, Italy. This type of accident happens on a daily, monthly and yearly basis, and thousands of people go missing between Africa and Europe. Fewer than 300 people were martyred during the revolution in Tunisia that demanded freedom and sought to build a new State, but hundreds and hundreds of Tunisians have gone missing in the waters between Europe and Africa. We know nothing of their fate. This issue is a global responsibility for Africa, Europe and the countries of the rest of the world. Migration is an important vector for social, economic and cultural cohesion among nations. Therefore, support for the contribution of migrants to development in the countries of origin, destination and transit and their ability to play a fruitful role in achieving cultural outreach cannot be separated from policies that would enhance respect for their rights and aspirations. Moreover, sound management of international migration flows and the creation of relationships through the development of the States of origin, destination and transit require continued dialogue and cooperation at the international level on all issues in order to overcome the challenges posed by migration that require joint solutions. The increase in migration flows over time  — owing to people’s desire to improve their living conditions, accelerating technological advances and social, economic and environmental transformations — sometimes brings about crises and challenges that a single country cannot overcome alone. That requires us to work together to find appropriate and rapid solutions to those challenges and crises by listening to others, holding dialogues and cooperating, while preserving the dignity of migrants and their basic rights regardless of their legal status. This approach, which is based on dialogue, cooperation and the centrality of human rights, has enabled Tunisia to confront and overcome one of the most extreme migration crises it has ever experienced: the flow of 1.2 million refugees of different nationalities coming from Libya after the fall of the former regime there during the spring of 201l. Had it not been for the spontaneous solidarity that the Tunisian society and Tunisian people expressed, and without the effective participation of international humanitarian organizations, the Libyan crisis would have had repercussions with a significant impact on Tunisia. The Tunisian authorities dealt with the crisis in an exemplary way, as has been demonstrated by various international entities. We distributed those refugees to various refugee camps that were concentrated in the south of Tunis for their own benefit, and the camps were finally closed in June 2013. It is worth noting here that the changes we have witnessed in our region over the past few years have had important repercussions on migration flows and routes. My country and the entire region are still trying to deal with the various repercussions and challenges of those developments, especially at the economic and social levels. In addition to the challenges related to managing the crises brought about by regional developments, and the need to strengthen the link between migration and development, my country is trying to firmly deal with the issue of illegal migration, as well as trying to combat human trafficking and provide assistance to the victims of such dangerous practices. Migrants play an important role in supporting development in their countries of origin in various fields. Our expatriate community, for example, contributes 5 per cent of our gross domestic product. Moreover, their savings constitute 30 per cent of total national savings. Given the importance of the role of Tunisian migrants, we have worked on including the issue of migration in development plans and on giving Tunisian communities abroad a strategic position that is in line with national priorities. In that framework, after the elections of 23 October 2011, Tunisia established a State department for migration and for Tunisians abroad, tasked with drawing up a national policy for migration issues and following up on developing capacities and skills and coordinating the various mechanisms. We have also launched a national strategy assigning roles in dealing with this to all the relevant parties, including Government organizations, academics and civil society. Furthermore, we are working on creating a national observatory for migration. In that regard, I would like to call on friendly countries and international organizations to support our efforts in establishing institutional frameworks for migration that relate positively to the relevant political and administrative issues and to national development. I should note here that migration sometimes has negative repercussions on development in the form of the brain drain. In in my country, for instance, it has exceeded acceptable levels and cannot continue at such a rate without having serious adverse effects on our development. Finally, as I said earlier, we cannot talk about migration today without mentioning the tragedy of the thousands of migrants who have gone missing at sea, a number that includes hundreds of Tunisians. I believe the time has come for the United Nations to give that issue the attention it deserves, because it has devastating humanitarian and social repercussions. While we are discussing the many challenges and opportunities involved in international migration and its repercussions on development, we would like to reiterate the important role that the United Nations can play in dealing with issues of international migration in the post-2015 development agenda. Those challenges and dangers have to be dealt with, and we must provide more opportunities in tackling migration and to support development.

I wish to join my colleagues in offering our country’s condolences to those who lost loved ones and compatriots in the tragic boat accident that occurred off the coast of Italy. With regard to this debate, we would like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General, his Special Representative and the various agencies and institutions that are working on the subject of managing migration in a humane and orderly fashion. We also welcome the statements made earlier in this meeting on behalf of the African Union and of the Group of 77 and China. We meet in this High-level Dialogue united in our resolve to advance international cooperation in the area of migration. While we welcome the thematic focus on migration and development and, of course, all the deliberations on the subject, we do think it important to give attention to the challenge of migration in a context of poverty. How might poor countries convert migration into an opportunity for development rather than a further addition to the poor and most vulnerable in their countries? Many developing countries experience migration in a context of poverty. How do we include them in this debate? How do we include their particular interests? We must be wary of assuming a nexus between migration and development, because the two may not always coincide for the poorest countries of the world. Some are vulnerable because of inadequate immigration systems and low levels of security, and they become victim to criminal syndicates that steal identities and traffic women and children. We must respond to the challenges of those countries as well. We believe this Dialogue must help countries resolve current migration challenges by creating links among stakeholders that will lay the basis for effective solutions to intractable challenges. The Dialogue must serve as a platform for the renewal of commitments at the highest level. We hope that the conclusions will signal a vibrant political commitment to advancing an agreed international agenda on migration. South Africa believes the debates on international migration are appropriately located within the United Nations system. They should happen here, and monitoring must be done by United Nations institutions. We believe that will allow all Members an opportunity to discuss the subject on an equal footing. As colleagues have said, migration is a global phenomenon today. People are moving to seek better opportunities, and global corporations are looking for scarce skills and talented individuals. Regular, documented migration holds benefits for migrants as well as for countries of origin, transit and destination. Unfortunately, irregular and illegal migration causes difficulties for Governments and for migrants. We also recognize that at times people are forced to migrate to survive. It is not always a matter of choice. We as a country are not yet fully at a point where we can effectively administer all these different forms of migration. The partnerships we build here must help us to develop our national capacities to administer our populations and effectively manage international migration. We are working, with the support of the African Union, to help countries develop national population registers and legal frameworks that will support migration. We believe our commitment to human rights is signalled by the manner in which we have received migrants in our country and in which they enjoy social welfare, support and legal access to all rights in South Africa. We must ensure that all our institutions and our countries have frameworks that support a form of migration that leads to development. We begin from the premise that the responsibility of our country is to fight poverty, inequality and underdevelopment, while promoting migration policies that will lead to socioeconomic growth, enhance skills training and promote human security, global partnerships and capacity-building to benefit our country and migrants equally. Given the reality of and the challenges posed by international migration, we are of the view that when managed and supported effectively, international migration can contribute to social and economic development. We believe that it is vital that this debate on migration and development be fully integrated into the deliberations on the post-2015 development agenda. We believe migration should infuse all aspects of development that will make up that agenda.

I now give the floor to the observer of the European Union.

On behalf of the European Commission and the States members of the European Union (EU), I would like to begin by expressing my deepest sorrow over the horrible tragedy that occurred outside Lampedusa this morning. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. The European Union and its member States would like to reaffirm their commitment to a more consistent, comprehensive and better-coordinated approach to migration and development at all levels, and to identify measures that promote the role of migrants as agents of innovation and development. Working together on a global agenda should produce tangible, effective, inclusive and forward-looking results. Those results should improve the life of migrants and benefit all countries and societies. This High-level Dialogue comes at a crucial moment in time, as we enter the final phase for implementing the Millennium Development Goals and begin setting the post-2015 agenda. It is clear that migration and mobility have contributed to the achievement of many of the Millennium Development Goals. There is no doubt, for instance, that human capital transfers constitute an important asset for countries of origin. Remittances and the mobilization of diasporas to assist their country of origin, notably through investments, constitute new sources of private financing for development. We should all continue to work together to lower the cost of remittances. We believe that migration has clear links with development and should be taken into account in the context of the post-2015 agenda. It is an enabler of inclusive and sustainable growth and a key aspect of global population dynamics. Much progress has been made in recent years, but more systematic and comparable work is needed to build up a sufficient knowledge base on how migration can facilitate or hinder projects aimed at achieving the development goals. That goes in particular for the sectors most influenced by demographics and labour issues. The EU and its member States believe that it is necessary to broaden the migration and development agenda in order to better address the full range of positive and negative impacts that migration can have on sustainable economic, social and environmental development. We must continue to adjust and advance policies to better meet the current challenges and opportunities. Allow me to mention briefly three examples. First, we must recognize that almost half of all international migrants reside in the global South. That shows the growing importance of migration and mobility between developing countries, which requires greater attention at all levels. That issue in particular should be addressed in national and regional development policies. Secondly, we should acknowledge that refugees and other persons in need of protection — especially those in protracted situations — present significant challenges for host countries and host communities, which should be addressed through long-term development planning, targeted initiatives and the enjoyment by refugees of their rights. Empowerment can enable refugees to make important contributions to host communities and local and national economies. Thirdly, internal mobility within a country, in particular between rural and urban areas, can produce opportunities and challenges similar to international migration. Cities have the potential to act as catalysts of social change, and exchanges of knowledge and experiences between cities worldwide should be promoted. The EU and its member States believe that all States should respect the dignity and uphold the human rights of migrants, regardless of their status. Particular attention should be given to the most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied minors, children and victims of trafficking. Let us make sure that the protection of migrants’ human rights remains a cross-cutting policy priority. We should also uphold and ensure the implementation of the relevant international human rights instruments. That goes far beyond the individual migrant, and it also benefits the home society and the society in which migrants live and work. I hope that we can all agree that trafficking in human beings is a serious crime and a gross breach of human rights. It is crucial that all countries ratify and implement the international instruments on preventing and fighting smuggling and trafficking in human beings. It is equally important to take firm action against all forms of exploitative employment of migrants, including by implementing sanctions for employers of irregular migrants. Let us also agree today that more attention should be given to the assistance and protection needs of migrants caught up in dire humanitarian and life-threatening situations and distress, whether en route or during their stay in host countries. Seven years ago, the first-ever High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development took important steps to improve global migration management, in particular by establishing the Global Forum on Migration and Development. Six successful meetings have now proved that the Global Forum is a valuable platform for frank and open discussions. By exchanging experiences and good practices, it has enabled trust to be built among participants  — Governments, civil society and the private sector. We should now take one step further and increase the participation of development actors. We would also like to use this opportunity to recognize the significant contribution made over the years by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Migration. The EU and its member States are convinced that improved coordination and coherence among all United Nations agencies and other international and regional organizations that deal with migration and development are essential. We believe that the International Organization for Migration, as the leading international organization in that field, could take a proactive role in stepping up coordination within the system. Allow me also to share with the General Assembly the positive experience of the EU and its member States in the development and implementation of the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility. Since 2005, it has provided a comprehensive framework for external action on migration. On that basis, the EU and its member States are engaged in regional and bilateral dialogues with a broad range of countries and regions. Within that framework, several EU member States have concluded and implemented bilateral agreements and partnerships with several States. We therefore urge all States to engage in international dialogue and cooperation to identify shared priorities and strengthen bilateral and regional migration management. In order to harness the benefits of migration and minimize the negative aspects, we need migration to be well managed. Effective return and readmission policies are prerequisites for well-managed migration, and all countries should meet their obligation under international customary law to readmit their own nationals and take appropriate measures. But States and international organizations cannot do all that alone. We need the effective involvement of the private sector, employers’ and workers’ organizations, academia and civil society, and migrants’ and human rights organizations on the global, regional, national and local levels. Let us agree today to address the global challenges and work to achieve tangible, effective and forward- looking results. Let us identify ways to improve the lives of migrants and their families. And let us take decisive steps to maximize the benefits that migration and development can bring. Let me conclude by emphasizing the importance that the EU and its member States attach to this High- Level Dialogue and its follow-up.

I would like to underline the importance that Lithuania attaches to the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in our role as the current President of the Council of the European Union. In that respect, allow me to recall the conclusions of the Council of the European Union and of the representatives of the European Union member States meeting in the Council on the 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development and on broadening the development-migration nexus, which define the approach of the European Union and its member States for the High-level Dialogue. Lithuania fully supports what has been said by Commissioner Malmström on behalf of the European Union and would like to add some additional remarks. The European Union and its member States are convinced that economic growth can be further underpinned by policies on global and intraregional labour mobility, such as policies that ensure more targeted skills development, skills certification and skills recognition schemes, especially in sectors where there is a shortage of trained personnel. For example, training partnerships could make valuable contributions to increasing the supply of trained personnel for both countries of origin and destination in sectors experiencing labour shortages, through appropriate mechanisms to match demand and supply. In that context, it is necessary to consider reviewing possible barriers to mobility in order to facilitate economic relations, prosperity and regional integration, taking into account the situation of the respective labour markets and security concerns. In our view, regional organizations are particularly well-placed to facilitate regional mobility, which is why processes and regional organizations involved in promoting orderly, regular and safe intraregional migration and mobility between developing countries should be supported. It is crucial to ensure adequate protection, empowerment and decent working standards for migrant workers. Potential migrants should receive accurate information about immigration procedures, entitlements and obligations. That would contribute to reducing the vulnerability of migrants. I would also like to highlight a number of issues under consideration as perceived from our national perspective. Lithuania, with its population of 3 million people, has a very long emigration history and a strong diaspora. Like many European countries, Lithuania experienced large-scale emigration at the beginning of the last century. Migration, especially emigration, became a reality again during the 1990s, and especially over the past few years. It is estimated that today more than 1.3 million people of Lithuanian origin reside outside the borders of Lithuania, of whom about 300,000 hold Lithuanian citizenship. The Lithuanian Government therefore considers it a priority to exploit that potential by promoting the idea that no matter where Lithuanians reside, they should have the opportunity to develop contacts with their country of origin and contribute to its development. In our efforts to find innovative ways to engage the Lithuanian diaspora to participate in State life and contribute to its development, we have learned some important points. Lithuania will share its experience in that regard at round table three tomorrow morning. Let me conclude by stressing the importance that the European Union and its member States attach to this High-level Dialogue and its follow-up.

Allow me to extend my warm felicitations to all of the participants in the High-level Dialogue. The history of civilization bears testimony to the fact that there exists a close nexus between migration and development, but migration has yet to come into the mainstream of the development discourse. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) bypassed it, and other internationally agreed development goals have treated it with scant regard. As the world community is at a juncture as it seeks to advance the attainment of MDGs and the framing of the post-2015 development agenda, I believe that this High-level Dialogue will be a turning point in addressing that important issue and bringing it into the mainstream process. My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I would also like to associate myself with the statement delivered by the representative of Benin on behalf of least developed countries. Migration is a common feature of the globalized and interdependent world, but the question remains as to whether we want to make that important phenomenon regular, managed, transparent and accountable, so as to bring about a win-win situation for countries of origin and destination alike. Countries in the North as well as in the South have benefited from the migration of workers. Destination countries have filled the gaps resulting from labour shortages in their efforts to advance their socioeconomic development, and sending countries have received remittances for general welfare of the families and households, which help to reduce poverty and sustain economic growth. But, migrant workers, particularly those in the low- and semi-skilled categories, are often subject to various risks and vulnerabilities. The protection of the basic rights of the most vulnerable section of the migrant workers, especially low-skilled workers, women and girls, in destination countries must therefore be granted increased attention. More effective mechanisms of cooperation and collaboration among sending, transit and receiving countries at the bilateral, regional and global levels are needed in order to protect the rights of workers and take into account their contribution to development. More analytical studies and research are needed to fully understand how migration and migrant workers contribute to the complex developmental process, beyond growth in gross domestic product (GDP) alone. For a country like Nepal, where remittances from migration represent around 25 per cent of GDP at present and where around 1,500 youths leave the country for foreign employment every day, labour migration is an issue of high importance and urgency. The circular migration of youths to southern destinations plays an important role in the economy of Nepal. For us, the safety and security of workers at all stages of the migration process, issues such as decent work, regular and market-based pay and the observance of health standards at work are crucial. We call on the countries of the North to open up their labour markets for regularized cyclical migration in a more transparent manner. We are committed to maintaining transparency and accountability in the recruitment process, which need to be supported by a positive environment in the market place. In particular, we seek to avoid exploitative and abusive practices by employers and their middlemen. Lowering the cost of recruitment and of the transfer of remittances provides great respite to the workers and facilitates the arrival of remittance proceeds to poor countries in need. We emphasize the importance of regional initiatives such as the Colombo Process and the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, which are aimed at ensuring safe, managed, predictable and mutually beneficial migration, and we call for the proper functioning and strengthening of such initiatives, which serve the interests of origin and destination countries alike. At the global level, the Global Forum on Migration and Development must be strengthened to provide broader education and awareness-raising on relevant issues and build confidence in steering through the migration process in a managed and orderly manner. Similarly, the role of the international organizations responsible for migration issues should be geared up, so as to better serve the legitimate interests of workers. In order to realize an inclusive, sustainable and people-centred development approach, as envisaged in the post-2015 development framework, international migration and its contribution to the development of origin and destination countries must be granted adequate attention. The substantive increase in the number of migrant workers and in the flow of remittances is already visible, but at the same time the development dimension of migration must also be reflected in the future development agenda.

Switzerland was, for a long time, a country of emigration. Today, in terms of our own population, Switzerland has one of the highest rates of immigration in the world. Immigration makes an important contribution to Switzerland’s economic, social and cultural development. However, certain voices have begun to be raised to demand restrictions on immigration to our country. On the other hand, there are other European countries that seek to attract greater numbers of migrants in order to address the labour shortfalls in many sectors of their economies. There are, furthermore, those who leave other European countries particularly impacted by the financial crisis to try their chances on other continents. Those examples show that migration is constantly changing, and with it so too are the demands it places on States. Today many countries are, at the same time, countries of origin, transit and destination. That means that very different countries located on different continents have things in common when it comes to migration. We must see this as an important opportunity. Where there are similarities, there are automatically opportunities for cooperation. Switzerland fosters such cooperation through bilateral partnerships on migration. On the basis of a regular dialogue, we carry out joint projects to learn from each other and to find solutions to problems. But important regional or global issues cannot be dealt with only in a bilateral framework. Such consideration needs to be complemented by a multilateral dialogue. With the Bern Initiative of 2004, Switzerland took the first step in a continuous effort to foster an open dialogue on immigration. Dialogues need strong partners. I would like to particularly acknowledge the important role played by Sir Peter Sutherland. Civil society’s five-year action plan is a constructive contribution to the High-level Dialogue. We also welcome the recent decisions of the Global Migration Group, and we will continue to support its work. However, Switzerland would also like to invite the Group to consider the possibility of a joint debate on how to make the Group a stronger partner at the policy and operational levels. The issue of a dialogue on migration and development should remain on the United Nations agenda. We are convinced of the value of regular high-level dialogues. Such gatherings allow us to take stock of the situation and set the agenda at the political level. At the same time, they complement expert-level processes, such as the Global Forum on Migration and Development. Switzerland continues to offer full support to the Forum, which is the main platform for global dialogue for States. We fully subscribe to the eight-point programme of action outlined in the report of the Secretary-General (A/68/292). Allow me to highlight three aspects of that agenda. First, human trafficking is an unspeakable violation of the most fundamental human rights of women, children and men. It is our duty to prevent trafficking, protect victims, punish perpetrators and join our forces through partnerships. Switzerland is determined to put an end to that form of modern slavery and has included those principles in a national action plan. Secondly, although it is not formally reflected in the current framework, it is widely acknowledged that migration has contributed significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Switzerland will work for the integration of migration into all relevant fields within the post-2015 framework. Thirdly, Switzerland endorses the call by the Secretary-General for better protection of the human rights of migrants. Around the globe, migrants find themselves in terrible situations. A pragmatic and coordinated approach among all actors is needed to effectively protect the rights of migrants. Strong international cooperation, as important as it is, cannot free a State from its responsibilities. States must bear the primary responsibility for protecting the rights of migrants and for helping them to integrate, while expecting them to contribute to the harmonious life of their communities. Our societies will enjoy the benefits of migration only when States meet their responsibilities in that regard.

I would like to start by extending the sympathies and condolences of His Majesty the King, the Government and the people of Lesotho for the tragic events that occurred this morning off the coast of Lampedusa. It is a great honour to deliver these remarks on this very important occasion of the United Nations High- level Dialogue. The Dialogue seeks to identify concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike, as well as migration’s important links to development, while reducing its negative implications. It comes at an opportune time, when the United Nations is in the process of formulating the post-2015 development agenda. Migration remains an enabler of development at the family, national and international levels. It touches the core of families’ lives. The migration and development discourse traditionally perceived migration as a problem to be solved by fostering development in the countries of origin. It has since recognized mobility as an integral part of development that presents both important human development opportunities and trade-offs and costs. Migration has increasingly become multidirectional, with the South-South migration being at the same level as North-South flows. Hence, countries of the North and South face the same challenges when it comes to governing migration. Lesotho is both a least developed country and a landlocked developing country. That geographical position has exposed Lesotho to a combination of migration challenges and opportunities. Lesotho’s economic opportunities have been characterized by migration since the mid-nineteenth century, when Lesotho was regarded as a labour reserve for South African mines. Since then, a significant proportion of Lesotho’s labour force has been flocking to the Republic of South Africa as migrant workers. The positive side of that scenario is evidenced by the magnitude of migrant remittances to Lesotho, which constitute 25 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, exceeding official development assistance, foreign direct investment and Southern African Customs Union revenues. In fact, in real terms, Lesotho is one of the top recipients in the world. I cannot be complacent about the gains we make from remittances received from a single source, because, on the other hand, Lesotho is losing some of its best minds in other sectors through migration. Perhaps it is time for us to balance the scale and devise strategies for enhancing the benefits of migration for migrants in countries of origin and destination alike through, inter alia, the facilitation of other forms of diaspora contributions. At this point, I would like to share with representatives one of the major initiatives Lesotho has undertaken in its quest to manage migration in a coherent manner. Lesotho has drafted a comprehensive migration and development policy. Among the key issues, the draft policy discusses migration data management, the “brain drain”, skills development and retention, the Basotho diaspora, remittances, international migration, migration and gender, migration and health, informal cross-border trade, human trafficking, social security for migrant workers and cross-border management. Those issues are pertinent to the migration and development discourse in Lesotho. I wish to conclude by emphasizing the importance of the nexus between migration and development. Migration is a stimulus for human development, and as such it is fitting to seek to understand migration dynamics and to embark on comprehensive approaches to its management. While we respect the freedom of movement as a fundamental element of human rights, we also need to cautiously pay attention to the abuse of those rights.

First of all, I would like to commend the President for having convened this second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. It offers the international community a precious opportunity to take stock of the past seven years, when there has been an unprecedented mobilization of interest around a subject that is complex and sensitive, one that essentially allows us to link the past, present and future of humankind. My country associates itself with the statement made by the representative of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Over the past 20 years, the movement of people has continued to grow, owing mainly to economic and demographic disparities. According to data provided by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations, the number of international migrants in the world has increased from 155 million in 1990 to 214 million in 2010. For most of those migrants, the main objective has remained the same, namely, to find better opportunities to improve their living conditions and those of their families, thereby contributing to growth and well-being both in the countries of origin and in the countries of destination. Migrants boost the economy and increase growth in the gross domestic product of the country of destination. Migration also contributes to mitigating the problems of unemployment and, to some extent, to the financing of human and economic development in the country of origin through remittances. However, the past decade has also seen major changes in the breadth, intensity and destination of migratory flows. Migration from one developing country to the next remains significant. However, there are new poles of economic growth in the South, creating South-South flows. As a country of origin, transit and destination, Morocco makes the dual effort of responding to the needs of Moroccans residing abroad, while also creating strategic, legal and institutional instruments in line with international standards that govern the stay of foreigners within its territory. On 9 September, at a meeting devoted to migration, His Majesty King Mohammed VI reiterated that the issue of migration, which is a subject of legitimate concern and sometimes even of polemical discussions, should be addressed in a global and humanistic manner, in line with international law, with greater multilateral cooperation. In that framework and in order to implement those goals, a number of meetings have been held in the form of working groups that have been charged with examining cases recognized as refugee cases by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Rabat. Hearings for those concerned began on 25 September. We also had to establish case-by-case assessment criteria for reviewing the legal status of certain groups of foreigners with irregular administrative status in Morocco. Humanitarian situations involving vulnerable people and those who carry out regular professional activities in our country will be given priority. Other working groups will be charged with renewing the legal and institutional framework for dealing with asylum and the fight against human trafficking. Finally, we will have to redouble our diplomatic efforts to promote our country’s stance and propositions in the main forums addressing migratory flows and to revive regional and international cooperation in that regard. Meanwhile, Morocco, which was one of the first States to ratify the Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, will continue to work with the United Nations system to implement the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2012-2016, which includes refugees and migrants among the groups requiring special attention. The international dialogue on migration and development has made significant progress over the last decade, making it possible for migration to go from being a taboo subject to an item that is constantly on the international agenda. Therefore, thanks to the combined efforts of regional consultative processes and the international dialogue on migration conducted by the International Organization for Migration and other groups, the debate on migration has become more constant and structured. However, the Global Forum on Migration and Development remains merely a place for dialogue and lacks a concrete implementation tool, given that much of the process happens outside the United Nations system. The second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development will give Member States an opportunity to bring migration into the work of the United Nations in an effective manner as part of the framework of the post-2015 development agenda. Morocco can only welcome the large-scale mobilization around that topic. At the national level, we have already committed, with our new immigration policy, to integrate migration into the global migration strategy and various sectoral strategies. A similar effort has just been launched regionally, with the launch two days ago of the African Alliance for Migration and Development, made up primarily of those countries that participated in the Rabat Process. Morocco fully supports humanitarian action in Africa as one of the main objectives of its foreign policy. It also supports the work of and a recent initiative by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for International Migration and Development in times of crisis. The international community must increase its awareness of the humanitarian consequences of acute crises affecting migrants, as a matter of urgency. It is also essential that we identify how to help such persons in accordance with existing international law, humanitarian principles, and shared responsibility, which are principles that are generally accepted as good practices both internationally and nationally. In the event of migration-based crises, the operational framework of the International Organization for Migration is a good starting point. Allow me, in conclusion, to highlight once again the urgent need for concerted action by the international community on migration and development. The process of globalization began during the previous century with the mobility of goods, services and capital. The twenty- first century will be a time of human mobility. The point is no longer to try to see whether more people in the world will move to different parts of the world but, rather, under what conditions those migratory movements will take place. The recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General (A/68/292) provide a platform that will enable the success of international migration on the basis of judicious and fruitful international cooperation. We believe that such a commitment will allow us to build a better future for tomorrow.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate the President for organizing this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report. Many of the global issues that we try to address at the United Nations have their own complexities and implications on the policies and actions that we would like to undertake. In that connection, the topic of international migration and development is no less complex. I am convinced that this High-level Dialogue will allow us to assess the progress and challenges of international cooperation within migration and development. Migration has always been a part of the human condition. Today, people’s movements are affected by and have an effect on faster and better communication. Transportation systems have created a web of interdependence and interconnectedness, rendering international migration a complex issue with overarching global policy implications. Today’s world is beset by suffering; rising youth unemployment, unresolved conflicts, political and economic crises, changing climatic conditions, global economic inequalities and political inducements are among the contributing factors to the current rapid mobility of people from many countries and regions. International migration is a multidimensional reality of major relevance for the development of origin, transit and destination countries. We should not shy away from addressing it head-on so that it also becomes a positive force for the achievement of the post- 2015 development goals. There is a dynamic linkage between migration and development, and we should be able to address the challenges and opportunities that it presents. My delegation believes that building on its positive implications for countries of origin, transit and destination represents a way forward. To do that, reliable statistical data on international migration are needed, including, where possible, on the contributions of migrants to development in both origin and destination countries. International migration is not without its own problems or perils, as we heard this morning with regard to the sad and tragic incident in Lampedusa. I wish to extend my condolences to the families of the victims. Many migrants face death, abuse, violence, horror and exploitation, and may become subjects of organ harvesting by organized criminal elements. Human trafficking ought to be combated in all its manifestations. We need to cooperate and build a common front by fully implementing the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. While the introduction and consolidation of coordinated policies for safe, orderly and legal migration is vital in reducing the vulnerabilities of migrants, I wish to stress that it is important that, irrespective of the status of the migrants, they need to be allowed to live in dignity and security and have their basic rights respected, including the issuance of residence and work permits. There is no doubt that migrants’ access to education, training and decent work would greatly benefit the theme under discussion. Integration policies ought to be considered and reinforced. Involuntary, or forced, repatriation cannot be acceptable. Their right to voluntary return to and reintegration in their country of origin must also be respected without any interferences or impediments from any quarter. As a commitment to the protection of Eritrean migrants from abuse, including xenophobia and racism, Eritrea has signed seven of eight core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The eighth convention is in process, and ILO Convention No. 189, on decent work for domestic workers, has already been submitted to the competent body for ratification. Eritrea has a relatively large diaspora population. In 2007 a dedicated department for Eritreans living overseas was established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to the existing diplomatic structures within its embassies and consular missions. The role and contribution of Eritreans abroad in the struggle for independence had laid the foundation for their active participation in the social, political and economic development of the country. Eritrea has a long history of changing the road map from “brain drain” to “brain gain”, as several professional Eritreans in the diaspora were involved in the liberation movement. Eritreans in the diaspora enjoy the rights of full citizenship, including the right of representation in the National Assembly and the right to own properties and open businesses. Eritreans in the diaspora support their families through remittances, and a significant number of them fulfil the 2 per cent per cent recovery and rehabilitation tax promulgated by the National Assembly in 1995. However, there are campaigns in certain countries that want to impede the contributions of Eritreans in the diaspora by politicizing the issue. The diaspora’s rights to contribute to poverty alleviation and the overall sustainable development programmes ought to be enhanced, not impeded. Our major challenge is how best to consolidate and maximize the benefits of migration and mitigate its effects. Closer international cooperation aimed at enhancing the contribution of migrants to development is needed today more than any time before. I would like to express my delegation’s commitment to an effective and inclusive agenda on international migration that integrates development and strengthens existing institutions and frameworks at all levels.

I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly and those in the Secretariat who have organized this important dialogue. I am very pleased to see many familiar faces here in New York. Let me start by recognizing our Mexican colleagues for their hard work in their efforts to find consensus and constructive approaches to the challenging issues surrounding migration and development. We think their work shepherding the declaration that was agreed to earlier (resolution 68/4) has set the stage for a successful and substantive High-level Dialogue. In my public remarks I have emphasized the importance of focusing on concrete outcomes that can move the migration dialogue forward rather than on divisive institutional and procedural issues that do nothing to improve the lives of migrants. Let me briefly mention three areas that I believe can be advanced by this High-level Dialogue. The first is migrants in crisis, the second is trafficking in persons and the third, to a certain extent, is migration in development. There are unprecedented numbers of migrants living and working outside their countries of origin. We have recently seen several situations where, due to conflict or natural disaster, large numbers of migrants have been trapped in crisis situations. Examples include the unrest in Libya, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, and Hurricane Sandy right here in the United States last year. To begin the dialogue, I propose to begin to focus on lessons learned from situations like the Libya crisis, where migrants, through no fault of their own, were stranded without recourse because of events outside their control. I applaud the leadership shown by Peter Sutherland, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Migration, on the issue of migrants in crisis and his excellent leadership on migration overall. I hope he will continue to help identify the most challenging emerging migration issues and work with States and international organizations to develop innovative solutions. I have agreed to help lead an initiative with the Philippines and other interested countries — working closely with the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and civil society groups — to address the situation of migrants in crisis. The process for that initiative still needs to be engineered, but I envision a State-led process aimed at examining the responsibilities of different actors in those crisis situations, perhaps reporting back on progress during the 2014 and 2015 meetings of the Global Forum on Migration and Development. To begin, I ask this High- level Dialogue to endorse the idea of us moving forward informally through such a State-led process. That will serve as a lasting legacy of this Dialogue. Trafficking in persons is a key priority for the Obama Administration, as it has been for prior United States Administrations and is for many members of the United States Congress. In acknowledgement of the importance of the issue, the State Department’s trafficking office is part of the United States delegation here today. We must affirm our commitment to protect trafficking victims by encouraging increased efforts to identify them among migrant populations and by cautioning against conflating them with people who are smuggled or who migrate without papers. We should ensure that victims are not penalized as criminals. Assisting victims requires a global approach that puts victims at the centre of our response  — getting them out of harm’s way, ensuring that their abusers are brought to justice and helping them recover and move forward with their lives. This forum provides the perfect opportunity to remind Member States that we have an excellent tool for fighting this modern form of human slavery in the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. While 157 States have ratified the Convention, not enough have implemented it and put it into practice. This High-level Dialogue will have a lasting legacy if it can serve as a catalyst for States that have not ratified the Convention and its Protocols to do so and for those States that have ratified the Convention to fully implement it. That would make a world of difference to victims and potential victims of trafficking throughout the world. Thirdly, migration and development are huge topics. We need to begin to narrow our discussions and focus on issues within the topics where there is reliable evidence and a common understanding. An issue that has broad support now is reducing the overhead cost associated with sending remittances. Although the Group of 20’s “five in five” target  — to reduce remittance costs to 5 per cent in five years — was not achieved in the hoped-for time frame, continuing to work towards a 5 per cent benchmark could be useful for the international community and would free up billions of dollars for those individuals and families that benefit from remittance flows. I look forward to a successful High-level Dialogue and thank all members for their commitment to bettering the lives of migrants and acknowledging their contributions to development.

At the outset, my delegation wishes to join others in expressing our sense of solidarity and our grief over the sad events near the Italian island of Lampedusa. Mexico recognizes that the link between migration and development is a global challenge. The commitment of States participating in this second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development is to reach agreements and undertake subsequent actions to achieve a more coherent and balanced vision of migration that starts with the recognition of its indisputable human dimension and its contribution to development in countries of both origin and destination. That is why we welcome the adoption of the declaration of this High-level Dialogue (resolution 68/4), which my country promoted and which highlights the importance of this issue at the United Nations, especially given its links with development and the need to give it due consideration in the post-2015 development agenda. Given the complexity and magnitude of the migration phenomenon for our country, the Government of Mexico, led by President Enrique Peña Nieto, has recognized it as an important priority for the Mexican State. Its cross-cutting nature necessarily places it among the major national challenges that Mexico has identified and seeks to address through an agenda agreed among the main political forces. The migration challenges that we in Mexico must respond to today arise from the specific needs presented by the various migrant flows. We have one of the largest diasporas in the world, and therefore must undertake demanding and extensive efforts to care for and defend Mexicans abroad. We have already seen a substantial increase in irregular transit migration through our territory, with the subsequent challenges of ensuring migrants’ safety and full respect for their rights. There has been an increase in the number of migrants who are particularly vulnerable, which multiplies the efforts and services needed for legal care and assistance to them. Finally, the significant growth in the number of Mexicans returning to the country deserves special mention, as we are approaching a net migration rate that is close to zero. On behalf of the Government of Mexico, I would reiterate that the common effort to link migration and development requires that we improve our human rights approach and assume greater responsibility in it. It requires that we ensure more dignified treatment for vulnerable migrant populations and that nations continue to move towards decriminalizing migrants. It requires that international aid for specific projects and programmes give greater attention to appropriate, humane and legal aspects of international mobility. In that context, we affirm that the conclusions and commitments arising from this High-level Dialogue with these aims will have Mexico’s full support.

The issue of international migration and development has rightly received increasing international attention. Indonesia therefore welcomes the convening of this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. Migration undeniably contributes to the development both of countries of origin and of destination. Over the past 20 years, the number of international migrants has increased significantly. For Indonesia alone, it is estimated that 4.5 million Indonesians make a living as migrant workers overseas. However, despite all its positive impacts, migration, if not managed properly by both countries of origin and destination, can pose challenges and possibly have negative ramifications. For countries of origin, migration can affect their development programmes due to “brain drain” and the decreased availability of highly skilled and talented workers. As for destination countries, migration can cause an overreliance on a foreign workforce and generate social problems, particularly in periods of high unemployment and economic uncertainty. While migrants can undoubtedly benefit from many opportunities provided in the country of destination, individual migrants and their families are also vulnerable to possible intolerance, abuse, exploitation and discrimination. It is therefore important that their vital role as agents of and contributors to development be recognized by both countries of origin and of destination. To that end, there is a need to change societal mindsets and attitudes in destination countries so that they treat migrants equally and embrace them as their own. Similarly, migrants should also adapt to the new environment and communities. They need to respect and abide by the rules and regulations of the countries of destination. It is pertinent to note in this context the important role and contribution of civil society in finding responses to the challenges and opportunities posed by international migration. Indonesia has its own challenges to face in addressing the negative impact of migration. Recognizing the increasing problems faced by our migrant workers  — mainly unskilled and low-skilled workers, especially women, in informal sectors — the Government of Indonesia continues to strengthen its efforts for the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers. At the national level, we have ratified and implemented the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Indonesia calls on countries that have not yet ratified the Convention to consider doing so at the earliest possible date. We are also expanding the scope of protection for our migrants by establishing citizens’ service units in our embassies and consulates in various countries, and we have developed a “zero domestic workers road map 2017” to promote the safe and regular migration of professional and skilled workers. At the regional level, Indonesia continues to promote and implement the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. In August, we hosted a conference in Jakarta on regional cooperation on international migration, mobility and best practices on migration and development in South-East Asia. At the multilateral level, we have actively engaged in forums on migration issues such as the Colombo Process, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, the Global Forum on Migration and Development and this High-level Dialogue. Within the framework of the post-2015 development agenda, the important role of migrants as agents for development has been emphasized in the report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post- 2015 Development Agenda, which the President of Indonesia had the honour to co-chair. We are pleased to note that the issue is also given adequate attention in the Secretary-General’s report entitled “A life of dignity for all” (A/68/202). In that context, we welcome the declaration adopted at this High-level Dialogue (resolution 68/4). We believe it can pave the way to addressing migration in a coherent, comprehensive, balanced and action-oriented way, and with a people-centred focus. As the declaration clearly reflects, migration is a transnational process and a cross-cutting and multidimensional issue by nature. Neither countries of origin nor countries of destination are in a position to address every issue of migration alone. Inter-State cooperation is a must. Partnership in managing international migration is indeed essential.

I am pleased to represent the Czech Republic today at this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. The Czech Republic fully supports the statements delivered earlier by the European Union’s Home Affairs Commissioner and Lithuania’s Minister of the Interior on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The United Nations High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development offers a unique opportunity to work towards a global agenda on the issue and to address persisting and new challenges linked to intemational migration. Since the first High- level Dialogue, in 2006, my country has become a destination for many foreign migrants. We have greatly valued their contributions to the Czech Republic’s social and economic development and to our cultural diversity. The increase in migration has at the same time posed challenges for our State and has necessitated new structures and legislation to manage it. We have started to develop policies aimed at encouraging foreign nationals to consider the Czech Republic as a destination. At the same time, we have put in place integration strategies for legal migrants, which are a crucial element of migration and mobility. Our accession to the European Union has linked our country with the global migration system. We have been working on international cooperation with countries of origin as an integral component of building a new migration system. The external dimension of migration is a necessary part of overall migration management. We cooperate with our partner countries in a balanced manner, taking into account all aspects of migration. Effective migration management should be based on intensive cooperation and a partnership approach in managing migration among the countries of origin, transit and destination. That partnership approach is advocated in various regional consultative processes, such as the Prague Process, which we initiated during our presidency of the EU. It is essential that complementarity at this practical, operational level be combined with a consultative, State-owned, non-decision-making process. The Global Forum on Migration and Development, which arose from the first High-level Dialogue, is a good example of such cooperation. As we see it, international migration is without a doubt a global agenda that needs to be addressed at the highest possible level. Practical solutions, however, are most effective when implemented at the regional and local levels. Such an approach ensures that migration management is implemented at the level as close as possible to migrants and has a migrant-centred approach.

At the outset, allow me to express the condolences of the State of Qatar to the families and States of the victims of the tragic accident that led to the sinking of a ship in the Mediterranean this morning. Such an accident gives our meeting today an added importance and responsibility. Qatar would like to associate itself with the statement delivered earlier by the representative of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I would also like to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to Mr. John Ashe, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session, for holding this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. Our dialogue gives the international community an opportunity to evaluate international migration policies and programmes and to enhance international cooperation and partnership in that field. Moreover, it gives us a chance to offer thoughts on practical measures for follow-up on integrating migration and the flow of labour into the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General and the guests who are participating in today’s important event. We realize the significance of foreign labour and migrant labour in achieving sustainable development in both countries of origin and destination, because they are an important, effective part of the implementation of development programmes in their countries of destination, as well as in raising standards of living, alleviating poverty and supporting socioeconomic development through the revenue that they send back home. Moreover, the flow of workers enhances economic and political ties and deepens friendships between their home countries and the countries where they work. We would like to reaffirm the concept of a common responsibility between the countries of origin and of destination and the need to devise approaches that are balanced and comprehensive in order to care for and protect the rights of migrant workers and their family members and to absorb those who return. Since we realize that xenophobia has been growing in some States, we affirm the need to continue working to defend the rights of migrants, as stipulated by international and regional agreements and instruments, and to keep them away from politics and racist practices. Because the State of Qatar cares about guaranteeing the rights of all residents of the country, with no exception, our Constitution stipulates equality for all before the law. Article 35 of the Constitution states that all persons are equal before the law with no distinction on the basis of gender, origin, religion or language. Moreover, article 52 stipulates that every resident of the country should be given legitimate residency and must be treated as such according to the law. Article 30 stipulates that the relationship between employers and employees must be based on social justice. That right must be guaranteed to all employees without any distinction as to the nationality of the worker, whether Qatari or foreign. Furthermore, the Qatari labour law of 2004 enhanced workers’ rights as stipulated by the permanent Constitution of the State, which supports the means of protecting those rights without any discrimination. In addition to legislative and constitutional guarantees for workers’ rights, the State of Qatar has signed many International Labour Organization conventions and has taken steps to guarantee respect for and implementation of those rights by signing bilateral agreements with many countries of origin in order to manage their recruitment process from the first contracting stage until the contract is fulfilled and the worker returns to his country of origin. Today, I would like to highlight the progress that Arab States have made by participating in bilateral, regional and international dialogues, as well as by engaging in Arab and international cooperation in international migration. We wish to highlight the regional consultative meeting on international migration and development in the Arab region, held in June in Cairo. It was organized by the Secretariat of the League of Arab States, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, and the International Organization for Migration in preparation for our high- level dialogue today. With regard to challenges facing the Arab world, including the rise in irregular migration and the movement of skilled labour to and from the Arab world, we note the lack of statistics and accurate comparative studies of the effects of migration on development. We also note the lack of comprehensive policies to integrate migrants into the different policies of the State, whether social, political or environmental. In most cases, migration from the Arab world is the result of economic factors such as poverty and unemployment. Therefore, it is important to make a commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in a manner that would affect migration, especially the brain drain. We must give expatriate communities and youth a larger role in order to participate in development. We believe in the need to give expatriate Arab communities a voice in the dialogue between civilizations and religions, which would heighten their role as a bridge for cultural, economic and civilizational interactions between the Arab world and the countries of destination. We would also like to note the marked increase in the number of refugees and displaced persons resulting from the political conditions and conflicts that some Arab States are experiencing, such as the continued Israeli occupation of Arab territories, which imposes a burden on development plans and requires unifying international efforts to deal with the problem. We realize that the issue of migration and the conditions of migrants and their rights no longer represents an economic, social and humanitarian concern alone. It has begun to have a political impact in the regional and international arenas. We wish to enhance the positive aspect of Arab migration and minimize the negative repercussions it could have on development as well as on scientific and technological development. We also are aware of the effect of the Arab brain drain on developmental efforts, and we would like to integrate the issue in the post-2015 development agenda. We look forward to holding more regional consultative processes in order to exchange best practices, lessons learned and experiences so that we can overcome the challenges we face, keeping in mind the original characteristics and particularities in the different areas of the world in terms of needs, requirements and related problems.

Migration is a phenomenon as old as humankind itself. Humans have always moved from one place to the next, but only recently has it been considered a problem. Only recently has it appeared on the national and international agendas. The countries of the Central American region, particularly those of the so-called northern triangle — Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — have a migratory situation that in some academic circles has been qualified as explosive, as more than 20 per cent of its population is residing abroad. The case of El Salvador is paradigmatic, with more than 30 per cent of our population, approximately 2.9 million, living abroad. Of those, 2.5 million live in the United States, which is the primary destination country for Central American and Salvadoran migration. In the latter case, the most recent census in the United States shows that the number of Salvadorans in that country increased by 159 per cent. Given the magnitude of the migratory flow in the region and its persistence over time, international migration has increased in many countries of the region, consolidating itself as structural phenomenon for the economic and social life of the countries of Central America, including El Salvador. That structure has come about in at least three different ways. After three decades of intense migratory flow, its dynamic and nature no longer depend on its original causes. Today, it depends more on its own internal logic with relative autonomy. Migration is now a long-term phenomenon and does not respond to short- term or circumstantial measures. Short-term measures can affect its intensity and nature, but will not lead to a drastic modification. Lastly, migration and remittances are essential when it comes to the operation of the economy and society in those countries. The weight of remittances in the gross domestic product is such that it is no longer possible to achieve macroeconomic balance without them. That also has to do with access by large contingents of the population to health services, in particular sexual and reproductive health services, education and housing. The recognition of the structural nature of migration produces at least three great challenges to States — first, a reduction in and the de-incentivization of forced migration, especially in the structural sense; secondly, the protection of the human rights of migrants in both transit and destination countries; and, thirdly, a strengthening of relations with the diaspora with the country and communities of origin. The first objective recognizes the complex factors that arise in migration and are fundamentally related to economic factors, such as employment and income, and social factors, such as the link between individuals and their community and family, and to the depth of the relationship between the individual and the migratory phenomenon, inter alia. The second objective, de-incentivizing migration, implies creating the conditions for potential migrants to put down roots in their home countries and in their communities. The second objective implies a shift in the focus of international relations, with the migrant being viewed independently of his status, as a subject with rights and thus worthy of the attention of the State. We are talking about building a new kind of citizenship. Finally, the third objective makes it necessary to support the idea that building democracy and development is possible only if we incorporate the power of the diaspora, which provides far more than remittances, for example, investment opportunities and businesses in the diaspora, the strengthening of migrant organizations and their links to communities in terms of social investment and turning “brain drain” into “brain gain”. In the end, we need comprehensive and integrating measures, with major efforts in the areas of coordination among institutions and the participation of migrants themselves in the achievement of the goals I have referred to in this statement. Programme of work

I should like to inform members that, following the consecutive meetings of the Main Committees on Tuesday, 1 October 2013, the following representatives have been elected Chairs of the six Main Committees of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session and are accordingly members of the General Committee for this session. They are: First Committee, His Excellency Mr. lbrahim Dabbashi (Libya); the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), His Excellency Mr. Carlos Enrique García González (El Salvador); Second Committee, His Excellency Mr. Abdou Salam Diallo (Senegal); Third Committee, His Excellency Mr. Stephan Tafrov (Bulgaria); Fifth Committee, His Excellency Mr. Janne Taalas (Finland); and Sixth Committee, His Excellency Mr. Palitha Kohona (Sri Lanka). I congratulate the Chairs on their elections. The Chairs of the six Main Committees and the 21 Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly having been elected, the General Committee of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session has been fully constituted in accordance with rule 38 of the rules of procedure.