A/68/PV.28 General Assembly

At the outset, allow me join others in expressing our deepest sympathy and condolences on the tragic incident off the island of Lampedusa. Our sincere appreciation goes to the President of the General Assembly for convening this important High- level Dialogue to discuss the important and dynamic issue of international migration. Thailand aligns itself with the statement made by Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/68/PV.25). Migration involves benefits and challenges for development. To manage migration in a sustainable manner, it should be seen as a dynamic and long- term process. We view this High-level Dialogue as an important part of that process. We are meeting here *1350009* 13-50009 (E) today to build upon the fruitful discussions we have had in many different parts of the world in preparation for this Dialogue. Thailand is proud and honoured that the discussions of the Asia-Pacific countries took place in Bangkok. We hope that the conclusions and recommendations arrived at there will provide useful inputs to this meeting. The High-level Dialogue is not only a forum to exchange views on the way forward in migration and development. It also highlights the importance of cooperation among stakeholders in the ongoing process of deliberating on and shaping norms to address the issue. Norms, however, cannot be established without positive perceptions of migration and migrants. The migration of workers reduces the pressure in domestic labour markets, enhances competition, allows greater opportunities, generates more income and benefit for countries of origin through remittances, and stimulates the transfer of skills and knowledge. However, unregulated migration creates its own problems. Whatever the case, a more open atmosphere is needed for discussions on how to integrate migration policies into the national agenda. Thailand is unique in being simultaneously a country of origin, transit and destination for both regular and illegal migrants. Thus we have always had to make tremendous efforts to manage migration in a comprehensive and holistic manner. The goal of migration management that would guarantee safe and humane conditions for migrants must go hand in hand with prospects for growth and development. Effective and efficient management of migration flows must aim at an orderly and predictable movement of migrants. Predictable movements, setting out appropriate policies and more effective migration management require accurate data collection, analysis and dissemination. Moreover, cooperation with different sectors of the economy is vital to better understand the changing trends and needs of the labour market and of migrants. That will in turn enable a correct formulation of migration policy in more forward-looking manner. It is the responsibility of both the originating and receiving countries to ensure safe migration. Migrants themselves must also take precautions so that their migration is not exploited by unscrupulous criminals and gangs. We recognize that migrants and their rights must be protected. Thailand’s policies of education for all and universal health coverage extend to foreign migrants, even illegal migrants and their families. The Thai Prime Minister recently chaired a meeting between international organizations and Thai Government agencies to discuss the issue of the health needs of all foreign nationals in the Kingdom. We greatly value the contribution of various regional consultative processes. Thailand is an active member of various complementary initiatives such as the Colombo Process and the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime. International organizations such as the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization have helped to ensure that our policies are keeping up with the constantly evolving situation. In addition, the ongoing Global Forum on Migration and Development will continue to help to sensitize all stakeholders. With our people-centred policies, Thailand is acutely conscious that the development of effective labour and migration policies requires the cooperation of all stakeholders. Therefore, we have been working closely in that connection with the private sector and civil society. At the global level, we hope that the linkages between migration and sustainable development will gain greater recognition from the international community. We also hope that this High- level Dialogue will help to generate such a momentum. Finally, we would like to see migration-related factors adequately reflected in the relevant post-2015 thematic priorities. That would encourage greater mainstreaming of migration into national development policies. That would benefit not only countries and societies, but, equally important, individual human beings — the migrants themselves.

I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report on International Migration and Development (A/68/190), which is before the General Assembly today. I am pleased to thank Iraq’s international development partners, especially the International Organization for Migration and its Director General, Mr. William Swing, for his fruitful efforts in working closely with Iraq on the issue of Iraqi migrants. My delegation would like to add its voice to that of the representative of Fiji, who spoke on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/68/PV.25). I would also like to thank the Mexican delegation for their efforts in facilitating the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development and the adoption of a balanced outcome document (resolution 68/4) reflecting the views of the countries of origin, destination and transit. The emigration of skilled Iraqis has directly and indirectly affected every aspect of Iraq’s development, as they are the main engine of socioeconomic development, particularly in the health and education sectors and services. It is clear that skilled professionals represent the national wealth and as such must be supported and considered a priority of the country. From one perspective, such emigration, such brain drain, constitutes a great loss to Iraq. Most migration is due to the economic situation, with poverty and unemployment among the main factors. Yet security issues resulting from the war against terrorism are among the most important factors to bear in mind. Therefore, enhancing development and the fight against terrorism can have a great effect on skills migration. Iraq has faced great difficulties in attempts to acquire precise data on the effects of migration on the Iraqi economy, due to lack of research and studies on the effect of migration on Iraq’s development. Iraq has carried out a number of measures. First, migration issues are being integrated into national development programmes through projects set up to involve skilled migrants. Secondly, migration is regulated to make it safe by training migrants. Thirdly, we are reinforcing cooperation and partnership with international and regional organizations for training migrants. Fourthly, migration factors are integrated through an ongoing data-gathering process. Fifthly, migration is integrated into development strategies, for poverty reduction and education, for example. Sixthly, we are taking the measures necessary to safeguard the rights of migrants in legislative reforms and by abiding by international covenants and agreements. Due to time limitations, I have delivered a shortened statement. The complete version has been distributed to members.

At the very outset, let me express our deep condolences on the tragedy that struck the migrants yesterday off of the Italian coast. The loss of precious lives in search of a better tomorrow is a stark reminder of the importance of the issues. Pakistan therefore welcomes the convening of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. We align ourselves with the statement made by the representative of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/68/PV.25) Pakistan is pleased to see international migration issues move up on the global agenda. We strongly favour intensified international cooperation and collaboration on international migration issues. The Dialogue should strengthen the nexus between migration and development through several actions. First, the factors that trigger migration should be addressed. Second, we must aim to develop an integrative framework and regulations to govern the economic, financial and human rights aspects of migration. Third, we must ensure that States and the private sector introduce temporary migration programmes as a means of addressing the economic needs of sending and receiving countries, so as to curb illegal migration. Fourth, the present international legal framework for migrants must be made adequate to respond to violations of their rights and, more importantly, to ensure that tragedies like that of yesterday are minimized. Fifth, a regulatory framework must be developed for the efficient remittance of migrant earnings to their families back home, at low cost. Sixth, the lack of capacity and the absence of policy coherence and coordination on migration issues, at both the national and the international levels, must be overcome. Seventh, we need to undertake comprehensive and analytical studies to determine the contributions that international migration and migrants make to the development of both sending and receiving countries, and lastly, regional consultative processes and their contribution to development must be strengthened. Pakistan has a large diaspora across the world, which has contributed significantly in the socioeconomic lives of the receiving States. In Pakistan, we are proud of our diaspora and its very effective role and links with Pakistan. They not only contribute to the receiving country, but also remit billions of dollars back to their families. There is also no doubt that the economic benefits of international migration are accompanied by a loss of human capital and the proverbial brain drain. As for the future, Pakistan believes that without the requisite machinery and institutional support, it will be difficult to make progress on the objectives of generating and sustaining the much-needed coherence and coordination on migration issues. We therefore favour strengthening the Global Migration Group and its role in facilitating migration. Finally, in the context of the post-2015 development agenda  — without determining the crucial and important role played by official development assistance in catalysing development  — we also believe that migration and its development impact must form part of the enhanced global partnership for development, with the requisite targets and goals.

The Ukrainian delegation is pleased and honoured to participate today in the General Assembly’s High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. The international discussion on migration and its influence on development is well timed and important. International migration is a complex set of issues that calls for comprehensive and collaborative formulas and solutions. Therefore, we believe that in order to adequately reflect its importance and to hold a place for it in future international dialogue, the topic should be incorporated into the United Nations post-2015 development agenda. Nowadays the majority of Member States clearly recognize the important links between migration and development. Migrant workers play an important role in supporting the economy of Ukraine, in particular. According to different sources, between 3 and 5 million Ukrainian citizens live abroad. The vast majority of them are migrant workers. Our country is a major supplier to the labour force of the European Union and the Russian Federation. According to the latest European Commission’s Annual Report on Immigration and Asylum, about 204,000 Ukrainian citizens received European Union residency permits in 2011, making them the largest group of legal migrants in the European Union. Migrants send home money that they earn overseas to support their families — to help them build homes, to send their children to school and to develop family businesses. According to the International Organization for Migration, last year Ukrainian workers sent $7.5 billion to Ukraine. That is $1.5 billion more than was invested in Ukraine during 2012. Thus Ukrainian labour migration has become a major investor in the country’s economy. It is very important that those funds effectively complement the social function of the State: to take care of retired parents, to pay for family health care, to fund children’s education, to solve housing problems, and so on. But there is a flip side to that coin. It is well known that external labour migration is associated with a number of socioeconomic factors, in particular the differences in the levels of economic development, wages and unemployment in individual countries, the level of social protection, and opportunities for productive employment in the national labour market. Unable to fully meet those requirements for its own citizens, Ukraine continues to lose its human resources. The resulting outflow of citizens affects demographic development in Ukraine. The population decreases, which in turn causes demographic disparity — a gradual decline in the young and middle-aged populations, an increase in the aged population and a noticeable reduction in fertility rates. Migration also causes numerous problems for the economy and in the social sphere, including the outflow of skilled labour, sometimes on a non-returnable basis. There is the risk of violation of the rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens abroad, especially those who are illegally employed. There is also the risk of undermining family relationships and of an increase in the number of children who need extra care from the State, since they are growing up in families where one or both parents are working abroad. The massive outflow of young people also results in the loss of fresh ideas and innovation and the best talents for the future. In a post-industrial society, neither oil nor gas but human beings are our most valuable and scarce resource. Therefore, the present competition for human resources is extremely bitter. Ukraine is constantly developing its State institutions and legislation in order to address those developments. We have adopted modern migration legislation, part of which was a result of the implementation of the European Union Action Plan on Visa Liberalization. We have created a State migration service, incorporated international agreements on human rights into our national legislation, and developed international cooperation in the area of migration. Knowing quite well that the main factor that can slow labour migration is the creation of well-paid work posts, the Government of Ukraine is undertaking appropriate measures in that direction. We believe that the strategic objective of our activity should be the return of migrants to their homeland and the creation of conditions for the most productive and efficient use of the experience gained abroad. On the other hand, the protection of the rights and interests of our citizens abroad is a core priority of our State. That is a systematic and complex activity, falling mostly within the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has three main prongs: the establishment of a legal framework, cooperation with foreign Ukrainians and migrants, and the provision of consular protection to Ukrainian migrants abroad. Ukraine contributes to the global process of eliminating unequal treatment of migrants, displaced persons and refugees while combating, domestically and internationally, criminal flows and human trafficking. We emphasize that building partnerships on migration, ensuring cross-border cooperation and stimulating an open exchange of best practices are the key elements for addressing and minimizing the negative effects of migration. Therefore, today we encourage all Member States to reaffirm their commitment to effectively seize the opportunities and, most importantly, to address the challenges that international migration presents to countries of origin, transit and destination.

Let me first congratulate the President for convening this timely meeting. We also extend our appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his efforts in focusing political attention at a high level on the many linkages between development and migration. We welcome the Secretary-General’s report (A/68/190) and his eight-point agenda for action. Cyprus fully associates itself with the statement made by the observer for the European Union on behalf of its 28 member States (see A/68/PV.25). Since the first High-level Dialogue, in 2006, we have witnessed some tangible progress. Remittance flows provide a good example. As the Secretary- General indicates in his report, migrant remittances grew to $401 billion just last year. Thus international migration has proved during the last six years that it can be mutually beneficial to countries of origin and reception, to developing and developed countries alike, and to South-South cooperation. It has become a major factor in shaping the global landscape and reality, and a powerful force for social change and cultural interaction in the countries concerned. Migration provides migrants themselves with significant opportunities for a better life. Today there is more clarity and a better understanding of the many and complex effects on the development of countries of origin and destination. The first High-level Dialogue was an historic event. By recognizing the importance of international migration to development, the international community has accepted the need to establish a more coherent political response to this phenomenon. The 2006 Dialogue brought the international community one step further by creating the Global Forum on Migration and Development and by allowing civil society to have a voice, substantial engagement and cooperation with member States. The Global Forum, as the Secretary- General states in his report, after six years of operation, has become indispensable. It attracts more than 150 States and fosters a common understanding of migration. Cyprus fully supports the open and transparent focus established by the Global Forum on Migration and Development and appreciates the opportunity it provides for a frank and focused dialogue and for sharing experiences and best practices. We firmly believe that the Forum should be further reinforced and strengthened in order to improve its effectiveness. Numerous are the challenges of the development aspect of migration, and addressing them successfully is not an easy task. Both countries of origin and destination must deal with issues such as brain drain, protection of migrants’ rights, minority integration, religion, citizenship, xenophobia, human smuggling and trafficking, and national security. Human rights and the protection of migrants, especially of women and children, should be respected and promoted by all. They should form an integral part of the policies at all levels  — local, national, regional and international — and measures should be adopted against illegal migration, human trafficking and smuggling. At the same time, there should be measures to ensure that migrants who, in search for a better life for themselves and their families, fall victim to smugglers and traffickers are given help, protection and assistance. In that context, I would like to extend our deepest condolences on yesterday’s tragic incident, which caused many migrant deaths. Cyprus is a country whose geostrategic position has exposed it to strong mixed migratory pressures that are aggravated by its limited geographic and demographic size. On the one hand, our close proximity to a sensitive geographic area — one plagued by serious political problems, wars, conflicts and economic instability  — results in the fact that Cyprus receives illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers in numbers disproportionate to our capacity. Despite pressure from mixed migratory flows in recent years, we have made significant strides in the management of those flows. We have managed to adopt and have commenced the implementation of action plans for the integration of migrants into Cypriot society and for combating trafficking in human beings. We have been able to greatly improve our asylum system, and we are also trying to effectively address the multiple challenges of those phenomena within the context of the European Union. One of the key challenges we face today is related to the voluntary return of migrants in conjunction with the encouragement of mobility and cooperation with countries of origin. The importance of migration for the post-2015 development agenda cannot be overstressed. Migration is a key driver and an enabler for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and a key factor for sustainable development. We need a coherent, humane and age-  and gender-sensitive rights and facts-based global agenda that can address today’s realities. It is a truly global challenge that requires a global and collective response. Only by working together can we succeed.

Allow me to express, with great feeling, Guatemala regret at the loss of many human lives off the Italian island of Lampedusa. That tragedy demonstrates the dangers faced by migrants seeking a better life. As we approach the closing of the plenary meeting and the round tables of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, Guatemala, as a country of origin, transit, destination and return of migrants, wishes to contribute the following recommendations. First, for migration to be properly integrated into the United Nations post-2015 development agenda, there must be coherent public policies that include the migrant not only as an object, but also as a subject of human development. International migration management must safeguard at all times the protection of and respect for human rights, equality and sustainability, in particular those of the most vulnerable — children and adolescents, especially those who are not accompanied by adults, women, and people with various disabilities. Secondly, as migration is a universal issue, the generation and exchange of information and statistical data on migration should be encouraged for the design of integrated State and regional public policies in countries of origin, transit and destination. Thirdly, with equity as a guiding principle in the nexus between migration and development, sustainable development begins and ends with ensuring the safety, health and education of children and adolescents, regardless of their migratory status. Fourthly, only by building strong States can we ensure the right to not migrate and eradicate irregular migration. For that we need the broad and inclusive participation of various governmental actors, such as those in social development, education, work, health, foreign affairs, migration and governance, among others. Fifthly, the objective of discussions on migration and development should be the improvement of migration governance at local, national, regional and global levels. It is important to involve the diasporas in the migrant integration and reintegration processes, developing strategic partnerships among them, government institutions, civil society, the private sector and international partners. Sixthly, development and migration policies involve processes for establishing human mobility that promote respectable work for all migrant workers and their progress towards full and transnational citizenship. In that context, the safety of migrants must be ensured, as they are affected by organized crime. Therefore it is necessary to implement effective mechanisms for access to justice for migrants, regardless of their migration status. In that connection, we recognize the contribution of criminal investigation institutions in our region in addressing the forced disappearances of Central American migrants. That criminal phenomenon has gained strength in recent years and is related to other crimes such as drug trafficking, organized crime and human trafficking and slavery. We also recognize the role played by humanitarian institutions, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as partnerships developed with State institutions and civil society in the search for disappeared migrants and unidentified remains. Migration’s fundamental role in the achievement of many of the Millennium Development Goals is undeniable. The human, social and economic dimensions of migration must have a central place in the post-2015 development agenda. Guatemala believes that by ensuring access to justice, health and education for all migrants and their families, in particular the most vulnerable, we can ensure their full human development and the sustainable development of our societies. I take this opportunity to thank Member States, United Nations entities and civil-society participants for their efforts, in particular the delegation of Mexico, in its capacity as facilitator of the Declaration of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (resolution 68/4), which was adopted yesterday and with which we fully align ourselves.

At the outset, I wish to express, on behalf of Argentina, sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the tragedy that took place near the island of Lampedusa. That tragedy is another demonstration of the importance and need to hold those discussions in the framework of the United Nations and particularly to focus on the issue of international migration from a perspective of human rights and of the urgency of working to change the paradigm. The Argentine Republic would like to align itself with the statements delivered by the delegation of Fiji (see A/68/PV.25) on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and the delegation of Cuba, on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States(CELAC). At the national level, I would like to underscore the fact that 10 years ago Argentina significantly changed its international migration paradigm, which allowed it to move from an anachronistic, restrictive and control- based approach to one based on rights. For Argentina, everyone has the inalienable right to migrate and all migrants have rights. We ensure unconditional respect for migrants’ human rights, regardless of their migratory status, and we reject their criminalization. We condemn all acts of xenophobia, discrimination and racism. Argentina understands that the motivation for migration resides in the forces of globalization and the structural conditions and policies of origin and destination countries. Therefore, we do not consider migrants to be mere factors of production, but instead we emphasize their human dimension — their condition as people who have had to leave their countries on account of those forces. We integrate them into the economy, work and production but also ensure that they have social and labour rights, have access to health care and education, receive equal treatment, are respected for their culture and enjoy freedom in the broadest sense of the word. Irregular migration status encourages unequal treatment and job insecurity and threatens the fundamental rights of people. We suggest that regularization be regarded as a crucial factor for human development and for the mutual integration of migrants into host societies. The establishment of measures providing easy access to regularization in Argentina has led to a substantial decrease in undocumented labour, as well as increased access to social security. We underscore the negative consequences of those forms of admission of migrant workers that are aimed at transforming them into cheap and flexible labour. In that regard, we urge the States that still have not done so to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of 1990. We believe that the underlying causes of international migration that derive from underdevelopment will be resolved only in a fairer, more supportive and more equitable international system. Therefore, this issue should be approached together with the promotion of genuine development in all nations. We reiterate our belief that not enough consideration has been given in the Global Forum on Migration and Development to our region’s proposal on migration and development. We believe that the General Assembly is the right place to engage in a comprehensive global discussion of a political nature on universal human mobility leading to the adoption of an international convention on international migration. Furthermore, the human rights perspective should be a cross-cutting theme that is common to all the mandates and programmes of the bodies and agencies of the United Nations system on international migration and its structural causes. The participation of civil- society organizations in the discussions that are taking place in various forums on new migration tendencies is of particular importance in order to enrich those discussions. In conclusion, I would like to underscore that the Declaration of Buenos Aires, addressed to this Dialogue, was recently introduced in the context of the South American Conference on Migrations. We urge members to pay special attention to the new way of conceptualizing international migration that is being developed in South America and is starting to take hold in CELAC. Our statement will be circulated in its entirety.

I thank the President for convening this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. The adoption by consensus of resolution 61/208 in 2006 showed Member States’ acknowledgement of the significant linkages between international migration and development. The Dialogue presents a unique opportunity for us to further identify the ways and means to maximize the development benefits of international migration and to reduce its negative impacts. It is essential that we exchange views on an array of important issues, including the governance of international migration, the role of migration in sustainable development and the role of the United Nations and Member States in managing migratory flows. The Dialogue also offers a platform to bridge our differences, along North-South or origin-destination lines, with a view to collectively harnessing the contributions of migration to development. It is being held at a critical time, as we approach the target date of 2015 for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and as negotiations are under way on the post-2015 development agenda. Uganda welcomes the efforts by the international community to address various aspects of international migration and development, through different initiatives, both within the United Nations system and through other processes, particularly the Global Forum on Migration and Development, regional processes and relevant organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration. We recognize and appreciate the important contribution made by migrants and the diaspora to the socioeconomic development of their countries of origin and residence, in terms of financial and intellectual input and skills transfer, as well as social capital. In Uganda, remittances from the diaspora currently amount to about $800 million per year and constitute an important source of private capital and transfer earnings. The Government continues to encourage the Ugandan diaspora to invest in the country’s development and is in the process of operationalizing a diaspora bond. We therefore stress the need to promote conditions for cheaper, faster and safer transfers of remittances in both source and recipient countries. Uganda calls for greater commitment by the international community to respect and protect the human rights of all migrants, in accordance with the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. We would also like to stress the importance of stepping up efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking and to protect the victims. One of the effective ways through which this can be done is by ratifying and implementing the international instruments on the prevention and combating of smuggling and trafficking in human beings, as well as by establishing or upgrading national and regional anti-human-trafficking policies.

At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the President for convening this high-level meeting, which is both important and timely, given the increasing prominence of the issue of migration and development. Member States will have the opportunity to take stock of the progress made in the global discussion on migration policies and to address future challenges. Before 1 go any further, my delegation wishes to join others in offering our condolences to the families of victims of the tragedy near Lampedusa island in Sicily, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 100 migrants. Malaysia also wishes to associate itself with the statement made by Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/68/PV.25). As a country that is strategically located in the South-East Asia region, which has enjoyed sustained economic growth, Malaysia is only too aware of the role that migration can play in the process of development and the difficulties that phenomenon entails. For Malaysia, the main challenge is to balance the need to maximize the economic benefits of migration and the desire to protect the interests of all those concerned. We believe that, in order to achieve that balance, it is crucial to ensure that migratory flows are managed in an orderly way. In that regard, Malaysia’s policy on foreign workers is premised on the need to manage migration in cooperation with migrant sending countries so as to benefit everybody. Malaysia recognizes the significant contributions made by migrant labour to a country’s productivity and its economic development. In that regard, continuous cooperation with sending countries has been forged in order to ensure that labour migration benefits all stakeholders involved, in particular, migrant sending and recipient countries, employers, documented migrant workers and civil society. Migration is inherently a regional and global issue that requires concerted efforts, mutual understanding and respect. In view of that, Malaysia attaches a great deal of importance to regional and international cooperation aimed at addressing the challenges of migration. Malaysia believes that the benefits of the process of globalization have to be shared equally between migrant sending and recipient countries. In that regard, policies and measures at the global level must meet the needs of all parties, and they must be formulated and implemented with the effective participation of everyone involved. Likewise, the issue of remittances is a crucial one for migrants and correlates with global development. In that regard, I wish to emphasize that Malaysia imposes no restrictions on migrant workers remitting money back home. Based on figures released by the World Bank in 2011, I can say that Malaysia is towards the top 20 countries in the world, with a total of 2.4 million migrants. Those migrants remitted approximately $6.8 billion in 2009, which has contributed indirectly to the growth of developed countries. To conclude, I wish to congratulate all delegations for successfully finalizing the talks on the Declaration (resolution 68/4), which was adopted at the opening of this High-level Dialogue. Malaysia is committed to contributing more towards the progress of international migration and development. Regarding the protection of the human rights of migrants, foreign workers in Malaysia enjoy full protection of their human rights, in accordance with Malaysian laws. Malaysia participated in the negotiation of the Declaration and wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the Declaration, in accordance with our national policies and laws.

Allow me at the outset to express my condolences with regard to the tragedy that took place yesterday, costing many migrants their lives. Uruguay also aligns itself with the statement made by the delegation of Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China (see A/68/PV.25). My country attaches importance to the process of establishing the post-2015 development agenda and in particular to the talks which have already started. The talks are particularly relevant, since despite the progress made in promoting dialogue and cooperation at the global level, obstacles remain in terms of integrating the issue of migration in the framework of development and in broader sectoral policies, as well as in global development agendas for development. With regard to policies on migration, the effective protection of the human rights of migrants has still not been achieved, nor has there been a significant change in public opinion on migration. In general, the media continues to focus on security, the issue of competition for jobs and the difficulties of integrating migrants within their host communities. That problem is particularly important in the light of the real and growing human mobility in our societies, which are more and more transnational in nature. In that regard, Uruguay considers the second High- level Dialogue on Migration and Development to be a decision-making forum for achieving a strategic vision of migration in the post-2015 international agenda. For our country, it is important that the issue of migration is being addressed at the United Nations and that it is recognized as a factor that can make development possible, addressing it in terms of human rights and gender. The contributions of migrants to local development in their host communities should be recognized. We must also recognize the importance of integrating migrants into those policies, which should take a rights- based approach that specifically combats xenophobia, including in education. Also, enabling universal access to health care, information and education should become a priority, particularly in terms of sexual and reproductive health, especially for young people, women, children and other vulnerable groups. In that connection, Uruguay highlights the importance of promoting the ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. We recognize that the link between migration and development goes beyond the mere economic aspect; it should be approached in a cross-cutting way, by including its human, social, cultural and environmental aspects. We must highlight the fact that the relationship between migration, development and human rights is not limited to a discussion about remittances and private capital flows, which can in no way be seen as part of official development assistance. We emphasize the need to manage the discussion of migration in the United Nations properly, highlighting the importance of avoiding duplication and establishing a new body within the Organization responsible for migration, which would work hand in hand with the International Organization for Migration, the only international organization with an exclusive mandate in terms of migration and with almost universal membership. It is also necessary to step up our efforts to coordinate the various forums that already exist and to reassert that the legitimacy of those bodies is related directly to their ability to foster democratic discussion of the contributions made to migration by all regions.

Allow me first to express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims who perished yesterday off Lampedusa island on a journey in which they had placed their hopes for a brighter future. Such tragedies remind us of our moral obligation to help the most vulnerable and call for concerted efforts to alleviate the negative impact and risks associated with migration. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of the G-77 and China (see A/68/PV25) and endorses the position of the African Union and the least developed countries. From the outset I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this timely High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which indicates that migration has moved to centre stage in development policy discussions after decades of being overlooked. For most of the past years, migration has been portrayed in development circles in largely negative terms and identified as one of the problems that development aims to address in the world. However, as far back as one can go in history, there has always been a nexus between migration and development, both for countries of origin and for countries of destination. It is high time for the potentially positive role of migration in the development process to be recognized, as well as the contribution of migrant workers through remittances, the transfer of knowledge and skills, and the development of transnational networks. At this high-level meeting I would like to reiterate what those who preceded me have said in reference to the rights of migrant workers. We have to admit that migrants are drivers of innovation. Countries should therefore strengthen the protection of migrant rights in the workplace. The time is right for Member States to tackle the discussion of international migration and development in a more constructive and more transformative manner. Let us address the real issues affecting migrants, in particular the relegation of migrants to shacks of discrimination, xenophobia and racism, which lead to the loss of many precious lives. It is urgent and relevant to try to move the discussion forward by urging Member States to incorporate migration into their policy debates. Let us address the issue, bearing in mind that we are dealing with human beings, particularly the most vulnerable people in our societies, especially women and children, who are in no way criminals but rather individuals who seek to overcome adverse conditions by exploring new horizons for a better tomorrow. Human mobility should therefore be recognized as a fundamental component of people’s freedoms. Let us strongly condemn the politicization of the immigrant issue. Indeed, some countries have looked at the issue of migration using a political mirror whereby politicians change migration policies to feed their own political agendas. That has had adverse effects on immigrants around the world. African Governments must strive for a comprehensive approach to migration, in particular by building partnerships and ensuring coordinated action to build capacities, including the management of migration. In that regard, civil society will need to play a critical role. It is important to stress the power of partnership and strategic cooperation and to emphasize the fundamental aim of achieving equal treatment and fundamental human rights as well as labour rights for migrants. Let me just mention a few steps my country has undertaken in its attempts to deal with this issue. Rwanda values people irrespective of their country of origin. In that regard, Rwanda has put in place a no-visa policy for Africans who want to travel to Rwanda. A national from any African country does not require a visa to enter Rwanda. In addition, nationals of any member of the East African Community, a subregional body to which Rwanda belongs, have an automatic work permit and, effective January 2014, citizens of the East African Community will require only a regular identity card to travel within the East African Community region. Thanks to the end of the bad politics of discrimination that was the root cause of emigration in Rwanda, the migratory movement has been reversed. Indeed, as all causes of fear have been eliminated, we are currently witnessing a massive influx of Rwandans from the diaspora, who are voluntarily returning to their motherland. Since 1994, more than 3.4 million people have been repatriated and have been helped to reintegrate into their communities. Beginning on 30 June 2013, the cessation clause to end the problem of Rwandan refugees entered into force, and there are also mechanisms in place to help those Rwandans wishing to stay abroad to become involved in national life. Finally, the promotion of international relations based on mutual respect, cooperation and mutually beneficial economic exchange has attracted many migrant workers from neighbouring countries. Rwanda benefits tremendously from diaspora remittances. Last year alone, such contributions amounted to $175 million. All those initiatives globally militate in favour of including the issue of migration and development in the post-2015 development agenda to mitigate the effects of its absence from the Millennium Development Goals.

The delegation of the Kingdom of Tonga conveys its appreciation to the President for convening this second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development and commends the Secretary-General for including that crucial issue in his report entitled “A life of dignity for all” (A/68/202). The Tongan delegation joins other delegations in expressing its condolences and prayers to the families of the victims following the tragedy that occurred on the Italian island of Lampedusa yesterday. The Tongan delegation also wishes to align itself with the statement made by Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. It has been seven years since the inaugural High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which provided global attention to the nexus between international migration and development. Indeed, we have this important opportunity to reflect on the progress made to date at the national, regional and global levels, while focusing on the range of outstanding issues and challenges that still need to be addressed. Tonga, as a sending State, has more people living outside its shores than in country. As both a transit and a receiving State, Tonga is fully aware that international migration is a multidimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination. Tonga is a mature migration-remittance economy, with remittances representing around 39 per cent of the gross domestic product. Remittances constitute, therefore, an important source of private capital and represent a major contribution to the economy. They improve income distribution, alleviate poverty and increase the level of savings. They also stimulate business activities with higher levels of investments in education and skills development. In recent years, however, as the level of remittances has declined, mostly as a result of the global financial and economic crisis, the question arises as to what mechanisms can be put in place to buffer the impacts on both migrants and their families. In that connection, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the exemplary work of the International Organization for Migration, particularly its office in Canberra, Australia, with which Tonga works closely. Labour mobility is an important vehicle for making good on commitments to pro-poor strategies, such as the Millennium Development Goals, and other global commitments to implementing national sustainable development strategies and, in particular, progress towards the post-2015 development agenda. In order to enhance the prospect for labour mobility, attention should be focused on increasing the level of investment in the development of transferable skills. For countries such as Tonga, the migration of highly skilled persons has affected development efforts, leading to the consideration of circular migration. At a regional level, mechanisms are being established for the recognition of qualifications across the Pacific Ocean. That includes a reciprocal beneficial relationship with our development partners Australia and New Zealand through seasonal worker schemes, by which Tongan workers are able to find temporary employment in those countries, contributing both to economic production and to the remittance economies back home. The same initiative is also being explored with Papua New Guinea and its mining industry. While recognizing the important nexus between international migration and development, Tonga is well aware of the social and cultural challenges associated with it. Support has therefore been provided at a regional level to deal with some of those issues, such as the growing number of deportees and its implications. Our experiences with the cross-cutting nature of international migration has led to our addressing it in a coherent, comprehensive and balanced manner, while integrating development with due regard to social, economic and environmental dimensions and respecting human rights. We also recognize the need to consider the role that environmental factors may play in migration. Tonga supports the call for reliable migration statistics and data analysis, including, when possible, on the contributions of migrants to development in both origin and destination countries. That analysis could facilitate the design of evidence-based policy and decision-making in all relevant aspects of economic, social and environmental development. We wish to acknowledge with gratitude the efforts and support of our Pacific regional institutions and the cooperation with relevant United Nations systems in efforts to improve the performance of existing institutions and frameworks, as well as in partnering with the relevant stakeholders involved in international migration and development at both the regional and global levels. That includes regional and international support for national efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking and protect victims of trafficking. Finally, Tonga would also like to acknowledge the support and close cooperation of civil society with regard to the challenges and opportunities in order to find adequate responses to international migration. Moreover, Tonga encourages promoting the well- being of migrants and their integration into their societies, especially at times of conditions of extreme vulnerability, and seeks the support of the international community for the efforts of such organizations.

In accordance with resolution 47/4, of 16 October 1992, I call on the observer of the International Organization for Migration.

With your permission, Mr. President, I will speak first in my capacity as Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and then as President of the Global Migration Group (GMG). (spoke in English) It is an honour to take part, on behalf of the International Organization for Migration, in this second -ever High-level Dialogue that the General Assembly has held on this issue. As the global lead agency on migration, IOM today comprises of 151 member States, with about 9,000 staff deployed in more than 470 field locations in 175 countries, doing about 3,000 projects a year. IOM is daily assisting Governments and millions of migrants and their families around the world, including those who are caught up in some of the current disasters in the world. We thus have a very clear view of the tremendous and growing importance of migration. Migration is a mega-trend of the twenty-first century. We know that jobs cannot be filled, skills will not be available, and economies cannot flourish without the free flow of people to get there. So in this period of the largest human movement in history, we can no longer think about our economies, our societies or our cultures without thinking about human mobility. Migration today is a reality for all, irrespective of whether or not we ourselves move. Migration’s increasing visibility and relevance is also reflected in the growth of our organization. For example, we have almost doubled our membership, from 90 at the turn of the century to about 151 today, as mentioned earlier. Migration affects all of us. As a global community, we have come far since the first High-level Dialogue, in 2006, but there is a long way to go. Seven years ago, the interest in migration was at a very early stage. Since then  — through the Global Forum on Migration and Development and the Global Migration Group, along with the dynamic leadership of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Peter Sutherland, as well as relevant regional and other forums — the discourse on migration has evolved to a very deep recognition of the fundamental link between migration and development and the parallel imperative of protecting the human rights of migrants so they may realize their full development potential. It is striking that the great twenty-first-century challenges are starting to look very similar around the world. Competition for labour, skills and talent is now a global phenomenon, as is the need to manage inequalities, diversity and social cohesion and to adapt to an increasingly mobile and urbanized planet. The second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development takes place amid debates on the shape of the global development agenda after 2015. It also takes place against the background of daily accounts of migrants who suffer terribly and needlessly. Many, as off Lampedusa several days ago, perish at sea or along borders, while others face rejection and racism in their host communities. In short, while migration carries significant development potential, positive development outcomes for migrants and for countries of origin and destination are by no means guaranteed. Migration is an integral part of development but not a substitute for it. By the same token, however, migrants can be the agents and the enablers of development but should not be held responsible for it. Positive development outcomes of migration depend on the protection of the human rights of migrants. For that, we need collaboration and partners. As matters stand today, however, too much migration takes place at the hands of traffickers and smugglers. If we keep tightening visa regimes, building walls, making integration impossible for migrants and making it impossible for people to move freely among societies, then more and more people will be pushed into the hands of traffickers and smugglers. Too many migrants suffer gross abuses of their human and labour rights. Too many must do work that falls far short of their actual qualifications. And too much of migrants’ earnings is subject to exorbitant recruitment fees, earnings that should not go to recruitment agencies. Sadly, migrants often manage to improve their lot in spite of, not because of, Government policies. At IOM, we believe that the High-level Dialogue provides a critical opportunity to shine a spotlight on migration and its contribution to development and on the migration-development nexus, and to improve cooperation on the governance of migration, while keeping the rights and well-being of migrants fully at the centre of the debate. I believe we are here today because migrants matter. It is a cruel irony, however, that at the moment of the greatest human mobility in recorded history, there is a rising tide of anti-migrant sentiment in much of the world, especially in destination countries and, sadly, even in traditional migrant countries. When migrants come to a country, they carry with them a lot more than a suitcase. They also bring fresh talent, experiences, new perspectives and a catalytic element that society needs. Every migrant has something unique to offer. As we heard from many countries that participated in our recent Diaspora Ministerial Conference in Geneva, a well-educated and well-connected global diaspora gathers talented people who can offer resources in the form of remittances. They also possess know-how and contacts, and they may return home from time to time. Ultimately, those transnational communities are development actors. All Governments have a responsibility to dispel the dangerous stereotypes and destructive myths about migrants. That means large public-education and public -information programmes about the overwhelmingly positive contribution that migrants have always made. Migration is a necessity for some, a dream for many and a reality for all States. Let me offer six areas that IOM believes will require our dedicated attention in the years to come. First, a fundamental shift in public perceptions of migrants and migration is needed. Migration is not a problem to be solved; it is a process to be managed responsibly and humanely. Secondly, we need to invest in fact-based migration policies. That requires improving the quality of research and data collection on migration. Thirdly, migration should be integrated as a key element of development and of broader sectoral planning at all levels in developed and developing countries alike. Fourthly, the human rights of all migrants must be protected, regardless of their status. Fifthly, migration in crisis situations must be managed. We have come up with a Migration Crisis Operational Framework based on our experience in Libya, where we brought nearly 250,000 migrant workers home to 54 countries, along with our partner, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. However, we discovered after we brought them home that we had no more tools in our toolkit. They needed schools, they needed clinics. We simply have to be better organized to help migrants in the future, and we think our Framework, which is already in operation, will do just that. Finally, there is the area of policy coherence and capacity development, which is partly why we are here for these two days. I offer our full commitment at IOM to all who wish to work together to further cooperation in the field of migration. I offer a final thought. Migration is inevitable. In view of the demographic trends, we know that many developed societies will need tens of millions of workers that they simply will not have. Most of them are going to come from the global South, and if we are not educating and informing our people about that, the migrant workers may not receive the welcome that will be required if they are going to contribute their potential. Migration is also necessary if our economies and societies are to flourish, and it is desirable if we have the right policies. I would now like to read out, on behalf of the Global Migration Group, their statement, which was negotiated over many months. It represents the views of 15 United Nations agencies and the International Organization for Migration. It is the Group which I happen to chair at this time. The Global Migration Group was established prior to the first High-­level Dialogue in 2006 as the successor of the Geneva Migration Group. Today, it is the principal inter-agency coordination mechanism on migration, encompassing 15 entities of the United Nations system and the International Organization for Migration. It aims to promote all relevant international and regional instruments and norms relating to migration. Bringing together heads of agencies, the Global Migration Group also seeks to encourage more coherent, comprehensive and coordinated approaches to maximize the benefits and address the challenges of migration. This is the second time in 2013 that we are discussing the theme of international migration and development at a high-­level event in the General Assembly. We believe it is essential that migrants — the main protagonists in the migration-development debate — be at the centre of our attention. Migrants are not commodities or factors of production. They are mothers and fathers seeking a better life for their families. They are young people using their talents to realize their dreams and ambitions. They are individuals trying to escape discrimination, the poverty trap and conflict. They are neighbours, relatives, friends, employers, or colleagues of each and every one of us in this room. Many of us are also migrants or the children of migrants. With that in mind, the Global Migration Group calls for a people-centred and human-rights-based approach to migration and development. Our key message for this High-level Dialogue and beyond is that migration is undeniably an enabler of inclusive and sustainable development for individuals and societies alike. Rights-based governance of international migration, premised on the protection and fulfilment of the human and labour rights of all migrants regardless of their status, will make migration a safe, productive and enriching experience for migrants and their families. We need migration policies and laws that address the entire migration process and that are coherent with other policy areas. We need inclusive, transparent and accountable cooperation bilaterally, regionally and globally. Only then can we also harness the substantial gains that migration offers to the countries that migrants come from, travel through and live and work in. The experiences of migrant men, women, the young and the old are varied. Where a migrant comes from and moves to, her migration status, his sector of employment, and conditions of work, health, including possibly disability, and cultural identity and ethnicity  — all these factors will influence the individual migration experience. As a result, there is no simple, single migration story applicable to all. We need to recognize the diverse biographies, capacities, needs and vulnerabilities of those we collectively call migrants. At the same time, however, we can identify relevant universal principles, good practices, and policy priorities in addressing migration. All migrants, regardless of their legal status, are entitled to protection, respect and the fulfilment of their inherent human and labour rights. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. The 2013 High-level Dialogue is a unique opportunity for States and the international community at large to firmly anchor the debate on international migration and development in the three fundamental principles of human rights, equality and sustainability that lie at the heart of the future United Nations post-2015 development agenda. Together we can lay the foundation for improved rights-based migration governance that enhances the human development outcomes of international migration for migrants and States. Let us fast forward a few years. Imagine we are in this room again, say for the next High-level Dialogue. What would we hope to have achieved? What world do we want for the migrant of the future? First, a few years from now, we would like to be working in a world in which all States are committed, both in law and in practice, to the human and labour rights of migrants and their families, with a focus on the most vulnerable. As one indication of change, Governments would enhance access to regular migration channels to meet actual labour market needs, and for family reunification. Fewer migrants would languish in immigration detention facilities, and none of them would be children or adolescents. There would be a significant reduction in human trafficking and exploitation of migrants, and prosecution of perpetrators would increase. There would be a precipitous drop in hate crimes and violence against migrants, and in abuse and maltreatment in the workplace and of migrants in transit. We would like to see more national human rights institutions with mandates and dedicated departments for migrants. Equally, we would like to see more interministerial and intersectoral coordinating bodies to deal with migration in a whole-of-Government approach. Effective mechanisms would be in place to meet the humanitarian needs of migrants, in particular migrants in crisis. All migrants and their families, irrespective of their status, would have access to health care, including sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, and to education, adequate housing, social security and protection, and other basic services. Migrant women, including domestic workers, would be empowered to enjoy fully their rights. Migrants would have their own organizational capacity to articulate and claim their rights, and trade unions would continue to open the doors to and advocate on behalf of upholding labour standards for migrant workers. Migrants would have productive and decent work, and employers and private recruitment agencies would adopt equitable recruitment practices and respect labour laws. Perhaps most important in this domain, migrant women, men, girls and boys would be recognized and valued for their unique and inherent individual human worth, dignity and contributions. Secondly, we hope to have a new reference text for global development, one which builds on and enhances the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). That text, we hope, will remedy the silence of the MDGs on migration issues. It will reflect the realization that migration is not exclusively a South-North issue, but contributes to equitable, inclusive and sustainable development in all countries and regions. A few years from now, we hope to implement a new partnership for migration as part of a renewed global partnership for development. Such a partnership could be measured in terms of the number of development plans, labour market and employment policies, social protection schemes, education and health policies as well as investment, trade-related and financial inclusion policies that systematically include migrants, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, through participatory and accountable processes.Other measures of progress could include reduced up-front costs for recruitment, lower transfer costs for remittances, more multiple-entry visas and dual citizenships and additional mechanisms for the recognition of foreign qualifications  — all of that would help ensure that the globalization of personhood keeps pace with the globalization of commerce. We hope that, in the interim, dialogue, cooperation and partnership on international migration will have expanded and flourished and will have become more inclusive and accountable. We would like to see the Global Forum on Migration and Development continue to advance understanding and consensus on migration and development. The Forum could also use its position to promote all international instruments and norms relevant to migration. We encourage regional consultative processes on migration to continue expanding their agendas and their circle of participants. The Global Migration Group stands ready to continue to support the Forum and explore synergies for future collaboration. We would like to see a greater number of regional mobility schemes and labour migration agreements signed and implemented that project and fulfil the human and labour rights of migrant workers and their families. Above all, we would like to see mechanisms at the global, regional and national levels that promote the contributions and participation of migrants and civil society more generally. Those are just a few measures of progress that we put before the Assembly for its consideration as it deliberates on the future of migration. The Group offers its support to States and other actors and entities in that endeavour. We have put forward our recommendations in greater detail in a position paper on the Dialogue, which is available on the Group’s website. I also take the opportunity to thank those who participated in our side event earlier today. We were honoured to have Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon join us in a discussion on the Global Migration Group’s work priorities and future direction. In closing, allow me to reiterate our call for future migration governance that is migrant-centred and that recognizes human rights and development as two sides of the same coin. It is our hope that this second High- level Dialogue will conclude with an agenda for action on protection of the rights of all migrants, migration’s role in development, reduction of the costs of migration and cooperation on migrant matters at all levels. We in the Global Migration Group are strongly committed to that endeavour and offer our full support to all.

In accordance with resolution 56/90, of 12 December 2001, I now give the floor to the observer of the International Development Law Organization.

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO)  — the only intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to advancing the rule of law — expresses its appreciation for this important Dialogue. Migrants have been playing and continue to play an essential role in global development. The contribution they make to socioeconomic development in countries of destination, transit and origin is undeniable, although not always fully recognized. The potential benefits of migration are too often undermined by discrimination, unequal treatment and human rights abuses against migrants. IDLO would like to express its deepest sympathies to the families of those who died yesterday in the Mediterranean. The loss of life in the waters off Lampedusa underscores the tragic globalization of human misery. For millions around the world, migration offers the only hope of escaping grinding poverty and violence. But migrants  — especially women and children — are some of the world’s most vulnerable people, subject to exploitation, abuse and fatal accidents. The Lampedusa tragedy only makes it more essential to promote a global culture of justice and development. IDLO supports the commitment in the Declaration (resolution 68/4) to work towards an effective and inclusive agenda on international migration that integrates development and respects human rights, and it firmly believes that the rule of law must be at its core. Human rights are universal and inherent, irrespective of migratory status. Respect for human rights and the rule of law can lead to better and more sustainable development outcomes for all, including migrants. Last year, the General Assembly adopted resolution 67/1, an important resolution recognizing that “the rule of law and development are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing”. With regard to migration, it is important to remember two critical aspects of the rule of law: equality before the law and fairness in the application of the law. Equality and non-discrimination must be translated into good laws, policy and regulations that further the rule of law and protect the rights of migrants. Unfortunately, in many cases migrants are discriminated against and criminalized. But good laws and regulations are not enough. In particular, migrants from vulnerable groups often bear the brunt of compounding abuse and marginalization. Women and girls, a group which makes up half of the migrants around the world, are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, violence and exploitation. An area where the rule of law can clearly prove valuable is in improving migrants’ access to justice. Critical to ensuring access to justice are the practical steps that must be taken to remove barriers for those in vulnerable situations. In the case of migrant women, creating clear pathways of care and protection that involve local communities and provide information, counselling, legal assistance and hosting, in case of danger, allow them to count on protection and access to justice in countries not their own. Further, good rule-of-law frameworks based on the human rights principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, equality and empowerment can be powerful enablers for migrants, for example through the use of legal empowerment techniques, legal education and legal awareness. IDLO welcomes the Declaration’s specific recognition of the need to prevent and combat trafficking. Our experience has shown that it is important to align domestic legislation on human trafficking with international standards and equally important to build the regional capacity of the law and criminal justice enforcement sectors involved in the prosecution of human trafficking cases and increase access to justice for victims and groups at risk. The rule of law and human rights can improve the lives of vulnerable migrants, particularly women. By empowering these groups and enabling them to have greater access to justice, IDLO believes that better, more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes can be achieved. As the adoption of a post-2015 development agenda draws nearer, IDLO is committed to playing its part to support the international community in framing an agenda that embraces the rule of law, human rights and justice to achieve fair, inclusive and sustainable development for all, including migrants.

In accordance with resolution 477 (V), of 1 November 1950, I now call on the observer of the League of Arab States.

Let me begin by joining others in expressing our deep condolences to the families of those who died tragically yesterday on the shores of Lampedusa. Today I am honoured to represent the general secretariat of the League of Arab States at this Dialogue, an important event in relation to migration. During its preparatory stage, all relevant countries and organizations focused exclusively on the event. Given the importance that the League of Arab States attaches to coordination and its use of a unified Arab approach for international and multilateral discussions on migration and development topics, the League of Arab States  — in collaboration with the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)— held a regional consultative meeting for Arab States on international migration and development in the Arab region at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo on 4 and 5 June 2013. The meeting was attended by officials from 15 countries in the Arab region, the representatives of authorities in charge of migration and expatriate affairs and of labour, the representatives of communities living abroad and of regional, international and civil society organizations, as well as experts. The final declaration of the meeting focused principally on international migration in the Arab region and the main development challenges facing it. A detailed version is available on the websites of the League of Arab States, the IOM and ESCWA. Hard copies are available in the Hall. The declaration included discussions on how to protect human rights and improve the conditions of migrant workers and the importance of coordination at regional and international levels to provide assistance to refugees and displaced persons, particularly given their growing numbers owing to the current situation in some Arab countries in the region. The declaration emphasized several other points: the importance of promoting the role of migrant communities in development planning and practice through the transfer of skills, the development of partnerships and communication networks between themselves and their counterparts in the Arab region, and the optimal use of modern communications and technology to access better information on job and investment opportunities in the region. The declaration also emphasized support for development goals through regional and international labour mobility. Such mobility can be achieved by integrating migration into development strategies at the national, regional and international levels. The declaration called for strategies to alleviate poverty, provide universal education, and adopt public service sector and social justice measures, as well as for the inclusion of migration in the post-2015 development agenda. It stressed the importance of partnership and cooperation in the field of international migration at regional and international levels. The participants welcomed the convening of the second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. They affirmed the importance of the Arab countries’ participation in the Dialogue and its proceedings with a view to reaching a consensus on promoting the contribution of migration to development, and to reducing its negative impact on countries of origin and destination and on the migrants themselves. They emphasized the need to take the regional specificities of each geographical area into consideration, including migration-related challenges, and to incorporate Arabic as an official language in the Global Forum on Migration and Development. The declaration commended the establishment of a working group on international migration in the Arab region by the general secretariat of the League of Arab States, ESCWA and the International Organization for Migration, under their joint chairmanship, and with the membership of concerned organizations. Its aims are severalfold. They include promoting coordination mechanisms, exchanging information on migration, developing programmes, projects, activities and ideas on international migration and development in the Arab region, as well as following up on the outcomes of the second High-level Dialogue. The participants emphasized the importance of establishing a regional consultative process on migration in the Arab region within the framework of the League of the Arab States, which is currently taking the necessary steps for that to be accomplished. There is an urgent need to link migration and development in the Arab region and to identify the potential role of expatriate communities and migrant skills in development planning and execution. We are confident that that link will help advance development and resolve the challenges currently facing our region. I hope that the Dialogue will achieve its objectives and that it will be in the interests of all participants, whether they are representing, sending or receiving countries.

In accordance with resolution 57/31, of 19 November 2002, I will now give the floor to Mr. Peter Widermann, Director-General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.

Within the mandate of my organization we are working together with countries of origin, transit and destination. I therefore want to first and foremost express my deep concerns about the events of yesterday morning in Lampedusa. I think it was the worst day at the doorstep of Europe. When we last met for the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, many of us were concerned about the state of the global framework for migration. Migration and development were still perceived as separate and only vaguely related components in the global arena. For some, the issue of migration was mainly connected to security considerations and divorced from the development agenda. Our understanding of the nature of international migration and the reciprocal links between migration and development were limited and the policy responses inappropriate. As a result of our deliberations, the continuity of discussions in the Global Forum on Migration and Development has helped us to bridge the divide between migration as a purely domestic concern and migration as an enabler of global development. Now we find ourselves at an important crossroads. The post-2015 development agenda is being elaborated. We should include migration in that framework to ensure that we utilize its development potential. That is contingent on migration being safe, humane and managed in an orderly fashion. In order to get there, we need to revisit some of the fundamentals of migration governance. First and foremost, better migration entails facilitating the mobility of people, so that their full potential for human and social development can be utilized. That calls for less red tape around immigration and safeguards against abuse and exploitation. The mobility of people offers much more than fiscal and economic benefits. It is about skills transfer; it is about global movement that brings social and cultural diversity to the places we live in. Secondly, in a mobile world our integration frameworks need to ensure participation and inclusion. Those societies that enable migrants to thrive and excel will be the most successful. Thirdly, borders will have to be managed so as to facilitate the movement of people and goods at the same time. Border management is necessary to help reduce the risks linked to increased mobility. We need to prosecute those who exploit our endeavours to create better migratory flows. With that in mind, we are noticing a growing conviction that we need dialogue that includes all stakeholders in order to have better migration. We have to include the diasporas, civil society organizations, trade unions, employer associations, businesses, recruitment agencies and universities, to name a few of them. We as migration organizations will continue to pay particular attention to including development in our discussions about migration, and we will continue to undertake sound research to guide those talks and evidence-based policy-making. As we already know, better data and better analysis help in the design of better policies. We at ICMPD will continue to put our expertise at the service of the global community and to work in what we believe in: that migration is all about people. ICMP is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. When the organization was founded, the migration world looked different. I hope that 20 years from now, we can look back and know that we used this momentum to move forward. I am sure next time we meet we will have seen a fundamental shift in how migration is governed. Let me conclude by congratulating the General Assembly and the organizers of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development and to invite everybody to keep the momentum going. Through our work and, most importantly, through our concerted efforts to give migration a human face, we cannot miss this opportunity. Migration is development, and it is too big to fail.

In accordance with resolution 64/124, of 16 December 2009, I give the floor to the observer for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.

Parliamentarians have a key role to play, because any effective international approach needs to be backed by solid policies at the national and regional levels. Parliamentarians not only legislate; they also link constituencies and administrations. Over the years, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean has tackled the issue of population movements from several perspectives: economic migration, forced migration, the condition of refugees and, last year, the impact of the Arab Spring on migration in the Mediterranean region. With the democratization process of the Arab Spring, the peoples of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have fought for their freedom, and as a result, the political dimension in the Mediterranean has changed radically. Those democratization processes and the ongoing crisis in Syria have created a huge wave of migration in our region. In such an evolving context, it is clear that securing regional stability — whereby everybody can enjoy their political rights, freedom of religion, social justice, dignity, freedom of movement, access to labour markets, availability of basic resources at affordable prices  — represents a key condition for peace and sustainable socioeconomic development in our region. At the Parliamentary Assembly, we have been working on the creation of a Mediterranean observatory on migration, to be established in Greece, in order to better monitor and facilitate the lessons learned on migratory flows in the region. In recent years, those flows have undergone changes, including a change of direction due to the economic crisis in Europe, when, for example, thousands of Spaniards had to leave their country to look for jobs. The history of the Mediterranean is built on accounts of human movement. Their passage left its mark on the culture and the way of life of the countries of adoption. In the work of our Assembly we give high priority to migration issues. In the coming decades, Europe’s indigenous workforce will shrink, due to low population growth and ageing. On the other hand, migration movements are on the increase. Those volumes make it difficult for the receiving countries to adequately meet the needs that such movements generate. It is important for those of us at the legislative level to examine ways to ensure that such movements will match the interests of the migrants, within economic and cultural parameters that the countries of adoption can extend. The latest tragedy in Italian territorial waters only underlines the urgency of such efforts. Migration is a multifaceted topic, and our Assembly has also analysed it from an educational point of view. I am referring to vocational training and to student exchange programmes, the usual tools to increase the transfer of know-how in the region and to prevent brain drain. In that connection, I am proud to report that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean is working, in cooperation with the French Government and Paris Sorbonne University, to launch a summer university for Mediterranean students, which will host 50 students every year at Villefranche-sur-Mer. Each year the project will focus on a different subject, with the cooperation of professors and experts from the entire Euro-Mediterranean region. To conclude, I would like to stress and reiterate the commitment of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to contribute to the efforts of the international community  — particularly the Group of 20, the Dialogue 5+5 group, the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration and the Alliance of Civilizations — in addressing the migration phenomenon through coherent and harmonized legislative action by members of parliament.

In accordance with resolution 253 (111), of 16 October 1948, I give the floor to the observer for the Organization of American States.

I wish to start by expressing my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who died off the coast of Italy. I welcome this opportunity to speak in this forum as Chair of the Organization of American States’ Committee on Migration Issues. The topic of migration is unquestionably relevant, given its profound economic, demographic, social, cultural and even political implications. The region of the Americas is no stranger to the reality inherent in the processes of integration and globalization, as we are currently experiencing them. The World Bank estimates that 30 million people — that is, 5.2 per cent of the total population of Latin America and the Caribbean — have emigrated from their countries of origin in search of better opportunities. Also, according to the 2012 report on international migration in the Americas, 80 per cent of the migrants in the Americas come from other countries in the same hemisphere, specifically from a single neighbouring country. Thus we can say that the migration in this hemisphere is mostly a regional affair. We should also mention the important contributions that migrants make in countries of origin and in destination countries. According to the World Bank data, in 2012 the flow of remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean was approximately $62 billion. However, that figure does not reflect the intangible contributions of our migrants, such as their skills, their knowledge, their cultural contributions, their identities and their ideas. The Organization of American States, as the hemisphere’s highest forum, is following the evolution of this phenomenon, which has a profound, permanent impact in our societies, through two offices: the legal office dealing with the the rights of migrants of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Committee on Migration Issues. The Committee, which was set up only in 2012, is the Organization’s principal forum for dealing with the issue of migration with an integral, balanced and technical focus that considers the contribution and the challenges that migration represents for countries of origin, transit, destination and/or return. Among the Committee’s functions, criteria and activities, I wish to highlight the following. It promotes dialogue, cooperation and exchange of experiences, information, lessons learned and best practices between member States within the framework of respect for the human rights of migrants. It identifies steps that could strengthen the contribution of migrants by enhancing their image and removing any rejection, discrimination and intolerance that they are subject to in host societies as a result of a false concept arising from negative stereotypes. It reviews, implements and provides follow-up to our inter-American programme to promote and protect the human rights of migrants, including migrant workers and their families. The Committee examines the existing linkage between migration and development in the Americas through this High-level Dialogue and as part of working out the post-2015 development agenda. I would also like to highlight the development of the Continuous Reporting System on International Migration in the Americas by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, also known as SICREMI. The objective since 2009 has been to periodically produce and systematize information on a hemisphere level on migration flows, legal frameworks and policies that would allow member States to make informed decisions on migration. Without a doubt, this is a tangible result of the important work that the Organization is doing in the area of migration. In conclusion, I would like to point out that the Committee on Migration Issues considers it fundamental to analyse migration from an integral and balanced perspective that considers, on the one hand, the causes, effects, challenges and opportunities of migration and, on the other, places migrants as people with human rights at the centre of any policy or plan for migration. In that sense, we note the indissoluble link among migration, development and human rights, recognizing that respect for human rights is an essential pillar for development, which in its turn is essential for the effective exercise of those rights and for enjoying the positive aspects of international migration.

In accordance with resolution 49/2, of 27 October 1994, I now call on the observer for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

As a network of national societies with over 100 years of experience assisting vulnerable migrants, we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. We welcome the Declaration on International Migration and Development (resolution 68/4), which is an extremely important reaffirmation of the rights of all migrants, irrespective of their legal status. Furthermore, we welcome the recognition of the specific situation and vulnerability of migrant women and children and of the need to counteract xenophobia and discrimination against migrants. The Declaration also calls for practical and action-oriented initiatives aimed at identifying and closing protection gaps. Allow me to make three points in that regard, which are based on resolution 3 of the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, entitled “Migration: Ensuring access, dignity, respect for diversity and social inclusion”. The Conference was held in Geneva in 2011. The resolution was agreed to by all State parties to the Geneva Conventions, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross and 187 national societies. First, migrants at all stages of their journey often find themselves in extremely vulnerable situations. That is particularly true at borders, where migrants often face serious risks to their dignity and safety with no access to basic services or international protection over significant periods of time. One way of addressing that would be for States to ensure that national procedures, especially those that might result in the deportation or interdiction of persons, include adequate safeguards at borders to protect the dignity and safety of all migrants. Secondly, States should ensure the ability of migrants at all stages of their journey to access basic services, including health care, shelter, food, clothing, education and family unification services. We stress that those services are essential for human life and should not be denied to any person, irrespective of the person’s legal status. Thirdly, Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and Governments have worked together and will continue to do so to protect and fulfil the rights of migrants. Resolution 3 of the 31st International Conference requests States to ensure that national societies have effective access to migrants in order to provide relevant services and strongly encourages enhanced cooperation between national societies and public authorities to improve cultural awareness and social inclusion through engagement with migrants in local populations. Allow me to highlight a few successful examples of that cooperation and partnership. The Italian Red Cross has been an essential part of the Presidium project, which aims to improve the reception, standards and assistance in Lampedusa, the site of yesterday’s horrific tragedy. The Iceland Red Cross works with the Directorate of Immigration to monitor the condition of asylum- seekers throughout the asylum process. The British Red Cross works with the Home Office to deliver services to vulnerable migrants in over 40 counties in the United Kingdom. In Austria and Croatia, national Red Cross societies have led campaigns to assist unaccompanied minors and improve the public perception of migrants. Across the developing world as well, including in Uzbekistan, Honduras, the Philippines and the Sudan, national societies have worked with their Governments to combat human trafficking and to improve the migrant experience by alerting communities to the risks of migration, improving their knowledge of the migration process and restoring family links. The IFRC and its 187 national societies stand ready to work with Governments in the international system to protect and fulfil the rights of migrants everywhere. We are thank the Assembly for the opportunity to contribute to the discussion.

In accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 67/219, I now give the floor to the representative of the Council of Global Unions and General Secretary of the Building and Woodworkers International.

Mr. President, we are grateful that trade unions can be heard in the General Assembly. I guess that it is never too late to raise our voices. One hundred and twenty migrants from Ghana, Somalia and Eritrea were killed as their flimsy boat caught fire and capsized near the shores of Italy. Forty- four Nepalese migrant construction workers recently died in Qatar, which will be hosting the World Cup in 2022. Another 13 migrant workers were killed in Bahrain in a tragic fire due to poor housing and unsafe conditions. Those are only a snippet from numbers of deaths suffered by migrant workers throughout the world as they leave their homes and families to look for decent work, dignity and a better future, free from exploitation. Those are rights they deserve. In the debate on global governance of migration, a rights-based approach to the existing international normative framework governing migration must be the core outcome of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. We call on Governments to ratify the United Nations and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on migration. We also call on the European Union to comply with the fundamental rights of migrants in accordance with those conventions. The approach compels all of us to recognize that migrant workers have rights that must be protected and promoted in all situations — rights that should not be denied or compromised. In the discussion on labour mobility, we should focus on unscrupulous recruiters, outsourcing agencies and human traffickers who exploit the desires of migrants and view them only as commodities instead of human beings. Governments must assume responsibility for creating effective and transparent mechanisms that would regulate recruitment to protect the rights of migrant workers. Unfortunately, some Governments have also viewed migrants as commodities instead of human beings, although labour mobility has been included in many bilateral and regional trade agreements. Trade unions will continue to promote the Decent Work Agenda and ensure that migrant workers’ rights, including freedom of association, are respected in their debates. Although we participate in the Global Forum on Migration and Development, that Forum must give precedence to bilateral agreements in which decent work and migrant workers’ rights are given priority. I reiterate that migrant workers’ rights cannot be protected through non-binding mechanisms, bilateral agreements with no reference to United Nations normative frameworks and informal networks with no monitoring system and no genuine participation of civil society. We look to the ILO to take the leadership role and see the ILO’s tripartite mechanism and social dialogue as being the most transparent, accountable, participative and substantive one for future dialogue and cooperation on migration. I speak here on behalf of the 200 million members of the Global Trade Union Movement. I would like to submit our open letter for the Assembly’s careful consideration. To the representatives of the trade union movement, together with the civil society movement, who are listening to us today, we would like to convey our message: trade unions and civil society are part of the solution. All of us here are committed to realization of article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

In accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 67/219, I now give the floor to Ms. Isabel de Sola, Senior Knowledge Manager of the World Economic Forum.

It is an honour, but also a challenge, to be the final speaker in the debate at this High-level Meeting. In my country, El Salvador, we tend to remember the words of the Bible that say that the last will be the first in paradise. I at least hope this evening that my ideas will help to inspire a final reflection on cooperation. I represent the World Economic Forum, a non-governmental organization based in Switzerland. For five years we have promoted a project to promote cooperation with the private sector in the field of migration. During the debate many people have argued that improving conditions for migrants requires collaboration between all the parties concerned. The Action Plan presented by civil society, as well as the governmental conclusions, refer to the determination to tighten cooperation with civil society and the private sector. Now, although we wish to cooperate, one of the key players in terms of the migrant has been markedly absent — the private sector. We recognize the contribution of migrants to human capital, innovation and job creation, yet we do not see representatives of employers, vendors and contractors in the audience. If we wish to cooperate, we need to open the door and allow the private sector to take part in this dialogue, as an additional partner in the process. The World Economic Forum fervently believes cooperation is one of the ways to address global challenges. In fact, we believe it is the best strategy for the future; without the firm commitment of companies, Governments, international agencies, academia and civil society, we will not overcome the injustices and correct the errors of modern times. It sounds good to cooperate,  and it can even be a fairly powerful tool. Nevertheless, we know that it is not easy. Cooperation with other sectors requires first and foremost the willingness to talk and listen. It also requires giving up ground in order to enhance complementarities. Essentially, it requires a high level of trust between the parties. Private companies have specific production and sales targets. Those goals can be complementary to the objectives of ensuring better conditions for migrants, decent working conditions and building their development capacity. But how and where should we begin? Companies employ migrants, train them, pay them wages and sell them services and essential products. The company communicates with the migrants and knows their preferences. Those skills could be exploited in the context of the goal that we share of improving migrants’ conditions. Let me share some concrete examples of that potential. First, the Filipino telecommunications company, Philippine Long-Distance Telephone Company, has generated a special service specifically for migrants abroad. Through its telephones, clients can pay the accounts of their families back home in the Philippines and buy food and services for them. Secondly, the Manpower company, in partnership with the Government of Viet Nam, is developing a system to recognize new skills acquired abroad by Vietnamese returnee migrants. There are many other examples, but since I do not have much time, I will limit myself to those cited. I hope those I have shared with the Assembly demonstrate the potential for private-sector collaboration and for recognizing its role as an integral member of the process. We also know that private enterprise is sometimes part of the problem; therefore, we need to step up our efforts to integrate the companies in the dialogue. The model we are proposing is one of a private enterprise that is committed. Through its objectives of generating sales it could play an extraordinary role in the lives of migrants. We could take advantage of its contribution and use it to help solve migrants’ problems by providing companies with cooperation opportunities and generally by opening the doors to that process.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. Before proceeding to hear the summaries of the four round-table discussions, I should like, with the consent of the Assembly, to give the floor to Mr. Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Migration and Development. It was so decided. Mr. Sutherland: It gives me great pleasure to make a short contribution at the end of a couple of very arduous days, in which a great deal of work has been accomplished. I would like to preface my remarks by very sincerely thanking the President of the General Assembly for organizing the High-level Dialogue during a very difficult period. He did so with great courtesy, and we are all very grateful to him for the assistance that was provided. I am one of those  — and there are others present — who attended the first High-level Dialogue. That High-level Dialogue, in 2006, was in many ways polarized between different positions on the whole issue of migration and development, different positions on the whole engagement of the multilateral process and different positions on the priorities that were to apply to a debate on one of the great issues of our time, namely, migration and its connectivity with development. The greatest possible tribute that can be paid to the first High-level Dialogue is its creation of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which was its sole product and a source of harmony and progress rather than a forum for division. The convergence of views that has taken place and that is evident in the Declaration adopted at this High- level Dialogue (resolution 68/4) is something that is, I think, testimony to the new approach that has been taken by the Member States in dealing with this issue. I would like to pay particular tribute in this regard to Mexico. Mexico played a fundamental role in putting together the Declaration, which is no simple matter. It involves all aspects of a very complicated subject. We could not agree on a declaration the first time we had a High-level Dialogue — no declaration at all. The Declaration that we now have is therefore testimony to a new era of relative consensus. One cannot have total consensus, and indeed nobody should want it, because there are different interests and different issues. The second group that I would like to thank, because I think that they are of crucial importance in all of this, apart from the generality of the Member States, is civil society. Civil society has felt, from time to time, excluded from a debate that is central to its preoccupations. Creating a forum for discussion that allowed States to speak to each other was an essential part of the Global Forum. It brought about positive results, but it was also absolutely vital that dialogue should take place with the civil society representatives, who reflect, understand and amplify the facts on the ground and the real difficulties on the ground concerning this great issue of our time. So where are we now? Now we must move on to action. We have had something like 250 outcomes from the Global Forum over the years, and I do not in any way want to minimize their importance. However, we also have big challenges that we have not yet addressed. During the last couple of days, we have focused on migrants in crisis and the need to have guiding principles or rules that can affect the behaviour of States — States where crises take place, whether it be tsunamis or floods or wars  — their obligation to migrants and migrant communities, the obligations of the countries of origin to trace and know where the members of their societies are, the obligations of contiguous States in terms of keeping borders open and the obligations of employers. We are going to move towards creating guiding principles, which we expect everybody to apply. I would like to thank, in regard to this whole issue of migrants in crisis, the United States for agreeing to take on a leadership role and the Philippines and Mexico for a responsible leadership role that can help us into the future. We are also looking at another issue, and I think it is a big one. If the post-2015 development goals do not contain substantive reference to migration as an element and issue in the context of development, they will have failed, in my view, to have properly reflected one of the biggest issues that are directly linked to development. I am not talking just about remittances, although I could be. We all know that they make up a substantial part of foreign direct investment and of overseas development, and that every percentage or two by which we reduce the cost of transferring remittances is passed on to the broader migrant community  — the families of those who have been left behind, a group which is probably of the order of a billion people — and provides great opportunities. I also want to mention, before I finish, the Domestic Workers Convention. Anyone who reads the Domestic Workers Convention must have great difficulty understanding how any civilized country could reject it and not ratify it. I just do not understand it. We all know the abuse that is taking place — vulnerable women who are left in houses, isolated from any contact with others. We know of places where there are numbers of them on death row. It is the least that one could expect to get a more positive dynamic, although, particularly in the northern countries, but also in the southern countries, efforts to adopt that particular Convention have begun. There is a growing momentum, which has been evident since 5 September, when the Convention came into force. However, the post-2015 period is our most urgent challenge, and we have to stop preaching to the converted and start preaching to those who are not converted. We only have a matter of weeks. If something is not done about it, the opportunity will simply pass us by, and future generations will look at the post-2015 development goals and say “What were they doing?”. “They” are us, and something must be done. So we must work together. I am hoping to do so as Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who, in opening the High-level Dialogue, asked me to try to work at bringing together the Global Migration Group and the Global Forum on Migration and Development in a way that leads to constructive, ongoing developments. Certainly, I know that all those concerned in those institutions have a commitment, too. I thank members for listening to me. I often wonder about these speeches, whether they are more useless rhetoric or whether they are actually having effects. It is really up to the Assembly, and the proof will be there, or will not be there, over the next couple of years.

My country’s delegation has taken part in the Dialogue in a very positive spirit, and we have been an active member of the Group of 77 in order to ensure the success of the Dialogue. The Assembly may be aware that a few days ago a certain newspaper published false allegations about the State of Qatar in which it alleged that workers were being abused in our country and that some had died. The Assembly is also aware of the political background of those allegations. Ever since my country began its quest to host the 2022 World Cup and submitted an excellent, complete and universally recognized proposal, some people have believed that it would be difficult to host the tournament in a region such as ours, the Middle East. Qatar is a small, third-world country and part of the Muslim community, so there was a racist bias that evolved into a political position for some. It has been alleged that certain Nepalese workers are being abused. We contacted our friends in the Kingdom of Nepal and a Nepalese delegation visited Qatar. We held a meeting in Doha and showed those allegations to be lacking in truth. What is happening in Qatar happens everywhere else in the region. Yes, it is warm and the temperatures may be high, but those are the same temperatures that exist everywhere in region; they are not specific to Qatar. And accidents in the workplace happen in every country. As is well known, we have 2 million residents in our country, 1.7 million of whom come from 190 countries seeking job opportunities. They work alongside their Qatari brothers and sisters. So why was it not alleged that all of those 1.7 million people are being abused? Why was just one country named? We are very happy with and proud of our relationships with the Kingdom of Nepal and with every other country that sends workers to us. It is a question of joint interests. I was puzzled recently by a statement issued by the representative of Building and Wood Workers’ International, an institution that we respect and appreciate. But we are astonished by the allegations that were made. As the representative of my country, I reject those allegations. An international firm has been appointed to examine all the allegations. Worker safety is a priority for us, and we will not allow any worker or any resident who is not a citizen of Qatar to be humiliated. The Constitution of the State of Qatar regards Qataris and non-Qataris as equals in terms of rights and duties in the eyes of the law. Nobody can try to one-up us in that respect. I do not wish to speak at length, but my country is a transparent and open one. As I have said, we have received a delegation from the Kingdom of Nepal and we have hired an international firm to examine the issue, and all State institutions have been ordered to investigate any companies that might abuse any worker with a view to prosecution if appropriate. I ask the representative of the Building and Wood Workers’ International not to be swept up in politically motivated allegations. We do not want workers’ lives to be treated like merchandise. The lives of workers cannot be traded or made into political bargaining chips.

I would like to inform members that we shall now hear the summaries of the deliberations of the four round- table discussions by their respective Chairpersons. I now give the floor to the co-Chair of Round Table 1, Ms. Rita Claverie de Sciolli, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala.

It is my pleasure to summarize the debate that took place in Round Table 1 on the theme, “Assessing the effects of international migration on sustainable development and identifying relevant priorities in view of the preparation of the post-2015 development framework”. The discussion in our Round Table identified five principal points to which I would like to draw the Assembly’s attention. First of all, through the discussions we recognized the positive impact of international migration for development, both in countries of origin and destination. We recognize that migration plays an important role in assisting millions of people throughout the world to emerge from poverty. Also, migration contributes to development through the accumulation of human capital, greater access to health and education services for migrants, and the better participation of women in productive employment. Therefore, when there are appropriate policies in place, migration can contribute to achieving the remainder of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals. Secondly, we recognize that the High-level Dialogue represents an important opportunity to ensure that migration should be integrated into the United Nations post-2015 development agenda. Governments identified a number of options for incorporating migration in the future framework for development, including as part of a new goal in the international development associations. We also raised a number of specific proposals regarding possible indicators and goals. A number of Governments drew attention to the reduction of the human, social and financial costs of migration, including those related to recruitment and the transfer of remittances. Other specific goals proposed include promoting the recognition of foreign qualifications and labour experience, protection of human rights for all migrants and combating trafficking in humans and illicit trafficking in migrants. Thirdly, our discussions reiterated the fact that there continue to be a number of challenges because of the state of governance on migration. Many migrants and their families encounter violations of their human rights in employment and in daily life or are encountering excessive migration costs, including recruitment fees for jobs. In our discussion, we concluded that States can make significant social and economic gains from migration when they respect the human rights of migrants and their families. Fourthly, we agreed on the need to have data that would show the links between migration and development. In particular, a number of Governments drew attention to important data on the impact of migration on development in countries of origin, transit and destination, and with regard to the migrants themselves and their family members. It was also recognized that that information could help Governments to design and implement national policies and in the development of bilateral and multilateral policies and programmes. Fifthly, we recognize the need to improve cooperation and relations between all interested parties. That includes relationships between countries and regional organizations, as well as South-South cooperation, identified as particularly promising areas. A number of participants brought up the fact that Governments should work with both international organizations and representatives of civil society in order to maximize the benefits of migration and reduce its negative impact. Similarly, the discussion emphasized the key role of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which plays an important part in facilitating the work of such associations. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Migration and Development, Mr. Peter Sutherland, and the Global Migration Group were also singled out for their important roles, the former for advocating the integration of migration into the United Nations post- 2015 development agenda and the latter for monitoring the achievement of migration goals.

I thank the co-Chair of Round Table 1 for her statement. I now give the floor to Mr. Alejandro Alday González, Director General for Human Rights and Democracy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, who will speak on behalf of the co-Chairs of Round Table 2.

On behalf of the United States and Mexico, co-Chairs of Round Table 2, it is my honour to present a summary of the discussion that took place on the theme of measures to ensure respect for and the protection of the human rights of all migrants, with particular reference to women and children, how to combat trafficking in migrants and persons, and how to ensure that migration is regular, orderly and safe. The Round Table’s discussion was a fruitful one, with broad participation by Member States, United Nations entities and representatives of civil society. I am therefore very pleased to share with the Assembly some of the key ideas that emerged from the discussion. First, there was consensus on Member States’ obligation to promote, respect and protect the human rights of all migrants in the migration process, regardless of their migration status. It was considered especially important to protect the rights and freedoms of the most vulnerable groups, such as women and children. Also recognized was the importance of integrating human rights into migration policy and designing programmes aimed at empowering migrants, including women, to deal effectively with their vulnerable situation and recognize their roles as partners in the development of countries of origin and destination. Participants highlighted the fact that migration affects not only migrant children but also those who remain in their countries of origin and those born in the countries of destination. A number of participants added that procedures should take childhood into consideration and thus contribute to effectively protecting and enforcing the rights of children, particularly unaccompanied minors, in the context of migration, through safe-repatriation and family-reunification policies. It was agreed in Round Table 2 that half of international migrants are women. While they are agents of change, they are very vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, violence and discrimination. Speakers agreed that Governments should design and implement policies with a gender perspective. There was also general agreement that manifestations and expressions of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, intolerance and stereotyping aggravate migrants’ vulnerability. Participants encouraged Governments to ratify, adhere to and implement the relevant international instruments, to take account of them in national legislation and enhance cooperation in order to improve protection of all migrants’ human rights, regardless of their migration status, so as to combat trafficking in persons and ensure regular, orderly and safe migration. Speakers pointed out that migrants whose status is irregular are at greater risk of abuse, extortion, violence, discrimination and other human-rights violations, and encouraged States to implement programmes for regular migration. They also emphasized the fact that migrants can be vulnerable to trafficking in persons. Speakers supported the International Organization for Migration’s appeal to countries to fully ratify and implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols, and urged Government and civil society to work together in order to combat trafficking in persons and migrants. There was general agreement on the need for States and international organizations to pay particular attention to migrants in difficulties as a result of serious humanitarian situations and natural disasters. States, international organizations, civil society and the private sector have a role to play in ensuring protection and assistance in such cases. The prioritizing of such protection and assistance should be based on needs and not on a person’s migrant status. Finally, a number of delegations expressed their satisfaction with the opportunity that the High- level Dialogue had afforded to discuss international migration, development and human rights. They also voiced interest in developing initiatives focused on action to promote significant progress with this agenda.

I thank the representative of the co-Chairs of Round Table 2 for his statement. I now give the floor to the co-Chair of Round Table 3, Mr. Patrick Abba Moro, Minister of the Interior of Nigeria.

On behalf of the co-Chairs of Round Table 3, Nigeria and Switzerland, I have the honour to present the outcome of the debate entitled “Strengthening partnerships and cooperation on international migration, mechanisms to effectively integrate migration into development policies and promoting coherence at all levels”. The insightful and lively debate, engaging a variety of stakeholders, was framed by identifying the crucial challenges faced by the international community in addressing the multifaceted nature of migration and development. The following points were identified. First, the international community often continues to think in silos and should overcome its sectoral thinking in order to move towards a holistic approach to migration and development. Secondly, despite the increased number of stakeholders engaged in the dialogue, the potential for cooperation has not been fully exploited. Thirdly, the institutional set-up and legal framework are fragmented, posing a challenge to coherent policy approaches. Discussions on concrete measures for addressing those challenges ensued, reflecting the overarching theme of the High-level Dialogue. Out of the rich discussion in our round table, allow me to highlight eight action points that Governments and other relevant stakeholders are invited to embrace. First, we should pursue a whole-of-Government approach with the necessary resources to implement coherent migration policies in a coordinated manner. Second, we should factor migration into all relevant policy sectors, in particular in our poverty-reduction strategies and development cooperation frameworks. In that regard, the post-2015 agenda offers a unique opportunity to send a strong signal on the relevance of migration as a key factor for development. Third, we should recognize civil society as an important set of actors, not only at the grass-roots level, but also as partners in all spheres of migration, development policies and dialogue processes. Fourth, we should embrace the concept of bilateral and multilateral partnerships between all stakeholders, in particular those that are still absent from the debate, such as the private sector and migrants themselves, as a guiding principle to address migration and development domestically and internationally. Fifth, we should recognize the important contributions of regional and global platforms such as the regional consultative processes and the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and ensure mutual enrichment between the different processes and levels. Sixth, we should continue to engage in the Global Forum as the leading expert-level State-led informal global platform for dialogue and consider complementing the international dialogue with future United Nations high-level dialogues for stocktaking and agenda-setting. Seventh, we should acknowledge the relevance of the Global Migration Group, especially the recent steps undertaken to achieve greater coherence and coordination, and stress the need to pursue those efforts with the support of Member States. Eighth, we should adopt a human rights-based approach as a guiding principle for all migration and development actions. Governments should further consider ratifying all relevant conventions, in particular the Domestic Worker Convention (No. 189) of the International Labour Organization. Taking a step back and looking at the larger picture, the debate in Round Table 3 at its core addressed the way forward on global migration governance. The strong message that emerged from the discussion was the need to move from theory to practice. However, one major obstacle was identified — the ambivalent, if not to say negative, perception of migrants and migration in many of our societies. Such perceptions stand in the way of mustering the necessary political will to jointly pursue a coherent, coordinated and action-oriented agenda for the way forward.

I thank the co-Chair of Round Table 3 for his statement. I now give the floor to the co-Chair of Round Table 4, Mr. Shahidul Haque, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.

On behalf of my co-Chair, Mr. Romodanovsky of the Russian Federation, and my fellow participants in Round Table 4, it is my privilege to present the outcome of the deliberations of that round table. I am here to share with the General Assembly some of the discussion that took place in our round table on international and regional labour mobility and its impact on development. Before I present a couple of points, let me give my overall impression as co-Chair. The countries shared their experiences both as countries of origin and as countries of destination on an extremely positive note and in a very constructive manner and in the spirit of addressing some of the difficulties in that area. We see ample convergence in terms of interest, concerns and how we can make a better impact on labour mobility and migration. We were asked to look at three things. We looked at the overall labour mobility practices in regions and globally, identified some of the obstacles, and then determined what still needs to be addressed. As I said, when countries  — both of origin and of destination — made their presentations, most of them focused on three areas — policy, legislation and what is working and what needs to be fixed. That was the broader framework. There are a few points that I would like to present here. First, there was a sense in the presentations that everybody was willing to make migration safe, orderly and humane, based on labour-market demands — that is something that is also very crucial — indeed, some of the delegations suggested that if labour mobility is out of sync with labour-market demand in a given situation, it is likely that it will end up in failure. On that point, a number of ideas were raised by participants in the round table. Secondly, the rights of migrant workers  — and for that matter, migrants — were at the centre of the debate, both for countries of origin and for destination countries, which was extremely encouraging. We were gratified to see that everyone in the room was concerned about migrants, rather than solely about the issues of mobility and movement and economic gain. Economic gain always played a secondary role in our discussions. There was also a feeling that if we can manage migration in a positive and constructive manner that will, in the end, promote development and help sustain the development that we have achieved. In the process, there were countries that identified the risks that migrants often undertake by engaging in an unsafe journey. That needs to be stopped. In that regard, I am thinking of irregular migration and human trafficking. That was also quite comprehensively dealt with by all countries, not only in the destination countries’ presentations but also in the presentations of the countries of origin. Thirdly, countries also felt that the rights of migrant workers are at the centre of our undertaking in terms of development. At the same time, the responsibilities of migrants also came up, which I think is a valid concern. A particular country raised the issue, stating that when migrants enjoy rights, they also have certain responsibilities. It was clear that the round table was an extremely conducive environment for discussing that particular issue. There was also a call to reduce the cost of migration. When we are talking about reducing the cost of migration, it was interesting to note that it was not only the remittance costs that we were talking about. That issue is extremely important, since, as we know, if the cost of remitting money were reduced by only 5 per cent, it would add $60 billion to the $400 billion that we are talking about. But that was not the only point that was heard in the room. There was also the cost of recruitment. Some countries pointed out how that could be reduced, and we heard a very strong voice from civil society and the business sector as to how ethically we could possibly recruit people to go abroad to work and live. So, that is the second component under the rubric of cost, but there is another component that came up. It relates to the cost that is often borne by family members who are left behind. What are countries of origin doing to address that? How can we best ensure that families who are left behind are also taken care of? There was also a valuable presentation by Professor Lant Pritchett from Harvard University’s Kennedy School, where, in a very interesting way, he presented a couple of figures, and we all know that there are a number of models that currently exist, suggesting that there would be enormous gains from facilitating labour mobility. He said that “given the huge gaps existing in labour productivity and wage differentials, even a modest labour mobility increase could yield substantially higher return, and that could be the greatest intervention to benefit development”. So, he is suggesting what he has termed an “international agenda for development cooperation”, which I do not think has been explored that much. Lastly, there was a consensus to work together to build alliances, corridors and partnerships, both bilaterally, regionally and globally, in order to ensure that labour mobility becomes and remains an integral component of sustainable development, hopefully beyond 2015 and 2030. There also were interesting discussions as to how the world will look in 2030. Will it be the same, and if not, how would the labour market move? How would other factors move? If other factors underwent revolutionary changes, would labour mobility also go through the same changes? Would people still remain at home and contribute to a foreign economy? Those are some of the thoughts that emerged during our discussions. I will end with a particular message. In the end, we are talking about people. We are talking about migrants. We are talking about planet Earth.

I thank the co-Chair of Round Table 4 for his statement. I give the floor to the Deputy Secretary-General.

Let me begin by adding my voice to those of many others who have expressed shock and grief at the tragic and terrible loss of life after a ship carrying migrants sank off the coast of Lampedusa. As you have all noticed, the number of victims has been growing by the hour, now reaching hundreds of people. There are still many people missing. With the President’s agreement, I suggest that we now reflect deeply on the basic message from that disaster while we honour the victims with a moment of silence. I thank members very much for that act of solidarity and compassion. It has been extremely interesting for me to follow the Assembly’s deliberations in the High-level Dialogue over the past two days. There has been a rich and penetrating review of migration, a topic that is so central and so crucial to the national and international agenda in today’s globalized world. Having presided over the preparations for the first High-level Dialogue in 2006 and based on what I have heard during the Dialogue today and yesterday, I can assure the Assembly that we have come a long way. I am especially encouraged that so many areas of common interest and action have been identified. I am also impressed by the constructive engagement of our partners, including civil society, the private sector and academia, in our common mission, one of the greatest and most important challenges for all of us. We all share the objective of making migration a positive force, a positive force in national and international affairs. We have to work to ensure that the benefits of migration are realized and felt by all migrants in countries of origin and destination countries alike. The joint Declaration (resolution 68/4), a milestone on the significance of migration for development and on the protection of the rights of migrants, points to the remarkable strides we have made. We also share the goal of strengthening coherence and cooperation. We should all feel proud that, through the Assembly’s commitment to working together within the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Global Forum on Migration Development, we have been able to make such important progress. Now we must look at the future and the remaining challenges. Let us learn from the concrete experiences before us to see what works and yields results, and let us redouble our efforts. We still have much more to achieve. Our formal and, I would say, informal follow-up work is extremely important. Let me briefly outline five concrete areas. First, we should build on the momentum of the High-level Dialogue to generate greater support for integrating migration into the global development agenda. In order to do that, we need to make a case that migration is, in fact, a catalyst for development. Right now, reducing the economic and social cost of migration and protecting the human rights of migrants are two areas where we can make tangible differences. Also, let us not forget the importance of supporting countries in promoting peace and security, as well as human rights and the rule of law. We have to work on all of those three pillars of the United Nations to create a stable and harmonious society, so that migration can be a choice, not a desperate necessity, as someone put it so beautifully here yesterday. Those pillars are, of course: there is no peace without development, there is no development without peace and there is no lasting peace or sustainable development without respect for human rights and, I would add, the rule of law. We should also think and act strategically about how migration can fit into the post-2015 development agenda, on its own and/ or in combination with other drivers for development. Secondly, we need to improve the daily lives and working conditions of migrants across the globe. For example, the cost of transferring remittances must be reduced. Member States have brought that up several times. We also need to facilitate international mobility and the transfer of skills. Training and university degrees should be validated quickly and recognized in all countries. That is something we have also discussed at length, with many good ideas on how it could be done. Of course, as we already know, a great number of domestic workers, many of them migrant women, face exploitation and other precarious circumstances. I urge all Members represented here to ratify and implement the International Labour Organization’s Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) and the International Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Thirdly, we need to address the situation of migrants trapped in crisis areas. I have seen so many examples of that throughout my life at the United Nations and in the Swedish Foreign Service. Recent events around the world have shown yet again that emergencies can erupt without warning and that they test our systems to their limits. Member States, international organizations, civil society and the private sector all have a role to play in dealing with such situations. Fourthly, we need to strengthen the data and evidence base. Former Finnish President Paasikivi once said: “The source of wisdom is knowing the facts”. I agree with that. If we are to succeed in integrating migration into the post-2015 development agenda, which is a very valid cause indeed, we need data for all countries on international migrants and their core social and economic characteristics. That will be crucial if we are to develop sound policies and monitor global goals and targets. Fifthly, we need to give thought to and develop an overarching strategy for achieving our objectives. Yesterday, the Secretary-General outlined his vision and views on where we should focus our efforts. Many constructive proposals and creative ideas have been presented by participants over the past two days. Let us make sure that we, on different tracks, not least through the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the Global Migration Group and the International Organization for Migration, pursue those proposals in an action-oriented and pragmatic way. I believe that the Global Forum meeting to be held next year in Sweden will be one of several important events in that regard. Our challenge is to establish a plan, or, more modestly, a map for the road ahead, together with a monitoring framework with clear follow-up mechanisms. In closing, let us agree that it is within our grasp and within our power to make migration a positive force for development, as well as for peace and security and human rights. We have the skills; we have the tools. Based on this High-level Dialogue and the commitments made here, I am confident we also have the political will. I wish to thank the colleagues who have helped make this meeting a success. I particularly wish to thank the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Mr. Peter Sutherland, and the Director General of the IOM, Mr. William Lacy Swing, for their committed and continuing leadership and advocacy. I also with to thank all of the participants — Member States, international organizations, representatives of civil society, the private sector and the academic world — for their extremely valuable contributions. We all have important work to do. Millions of migrants worldwide are looking to us with hopes and expectations. Let us do our utmost to turn the political will and forward-looking approaches demonstrated at this High-level Dialogue into positive actions and results, not only for them but for all of us.

I thank the Deputy Secretary-General for his statement and for having taken the time to participate in the closing of the High-level Dialogue, which underscores once again its importance. The President of the General Assembly, Mr. John Ashe, has asked me to deliver the following statement to the Assembly on his behalf. (spoke in English) “We have come to the end of our second High- level Dialogue on Migration and Development. While it lasted only two days, this Dialogue was the culmination of many years of hard work and preparation and benefited from the support of many individuals. I wish to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General for his unwavering support in promoting and emphasizing this issue within the United Nations. My appreciation goes also to Mr. Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Migration, for his tireless efforts representing the United Nations at the Global Forum and working with Member States to find practical solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our time. “I also pay tribute to the eight co-Chairs of the four round tables for the enormous efforts they exerted to make the interactive discussion among all stakeholders a success. I likewise pay tribute to the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations, under whose effective leadership delegations debated and yesterday adopted a Declaration that conveys and reaffirms many of our shared beliefs on migration (resolution 68/4). “Tribute is also due to Member States, representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector for their various contributions to both the national and the regional preparations that preceded the Dialogue. “The four round tables of the Dialogue allowed for interactive, mutli-stakeholder debates, insightful presentations and frank exchanges. Allow me to highlight some keys points. In the presentations, we heard many examples of how migration can work for development and examples of practical measures to address urgent migration challenges. Participants further announced concrete initiatives to implement some of the ideas put forward by the Secretary-General, and they affirmed many of the key messages from his report prepared for this meeting (A/68/190). “Participants expressed their belief that migration can be a powerful enabler of development and should be an integral feature of the post-2015 development agenda. Efforts should focus on facilitating international mobility and enhancing the benefits of migration, while protecting and promoting the human rights of migrants and their families. “Participants were also emphatic that no country can address international migration alone and that dialogue and cooperation on migration should be strengthened and the coherence of sectoral policies at the national level should be promoted to fully harness the benefits of migration. “Participants stressed that migration can have positive development impacts if supported by the right policies and that the time had come to integrate migration into national development strategies and plans. “Much emphasis was placed on the need for access to decent work and decent working conditions in countries of origin, transit countries and destination countries. The need to respect, promote and protect the rights of migrants, in particular of vulnerable groups, such as migrant women and children and migrants in crisis situations, was also highlighted. “Apart from the substantive consideration of the question of migration and development, the Dialogue has once again demonstrated that international migration and development can be constructively discussed within the United Nations. It is, therefore, now time to transform the key messages emerging from the Dialogue into an action-oriented agenda with concrete follow-up. “The eight-point plan outlined yesterday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offers a clear road map for where to focus our efforts. I urge the Assembly to see in this, and in the many excellent proposals and ideas that have been put forward over the course of the past two days, a programme for action. “Seven years ago, the Assembly embraced the proposal by the Secretary-General to create a Global Forum. Undoubtedly, the activities and meetings of the Global Forum on Migration and Development have built trust and strengthened cooperation. I hope that under the able leadership of Sweden, the Global Forum on Migration and Development will become increasingly focused on concrete follow-up, continuing to work with the Global Migration Group, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on International Migration and Development, Governments and civil society. “It is my hope that we will be fully and justifiably proud of our progress and that we might be able to confidently affirm that migration has been fully integrated into the post-2015 development agenda. We are doing a better job of addressing the plight of migrants who are stranded in humanitarian crises, ensuring that each individual act of migration is wanted and voluntary. Sufficient legal channels exist to accommodate the demand for human mobility, and the various costs of migration have been reduced. With initiatives like our High-level Dialogue, I firmly believe that we are setting the stage to realize those shared aspirations.” (spoke in French) The High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development is now concluded. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-item (e) of agenda item 21?