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Alison
Curtis, Intern - The
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2009
focused on the theme “Overcoming Barriers:
Human Mobility and Development.”
At the HDR Presentation in Geneva, the director of the report Jeni
Klugman gave a summary and insisted that migration benefits not only the
migrants themselves and their families, but also the economy of the host
country they move to. The report
reveals that most movement in the world does not take place from developing
to developed countries as assumed by many, or even between countries, but
that most movement is within countries from one community to another.
Klugman,
like many others during the presentation, emphasized the importance of
making mobility an integral part of development strategies, ensuring basic
rights for migrants, and reducing transaction costs associated with
migration. The representative from the
International Organization for Migration relayed that managing the migration
process responsibly and efficiently is essential and the human rights of
migrants are the foundation of human development.
The representative from the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees was quick to remind everyone that migration is not limited to
economic and labour issues, but also includes forced migration and
displacement. The representative from
the International Labour Organization discussed how migrants contribute to
economic growth, and those migrants and their families are also consumers
that contribute to demand. A
professor from the Graduate Institute suggested the promotion of legal
migration, the removal of remittances, and the strengthening of existing
legal framework. He also urged
the need for the UN to host an international conference on migration.
All
of the panelists seemed to be in agreement for regional, national, and
international implementation and for dialogues at and between each level.
Questions were raised from the audience regarding lack of coherency
and a seemingly disconnection between what the panelists suggested and what
governments are actually doing, even and especially G-20 governments, who
are supposed to be world leaders. It
was also mentioned that there seems to be a focus on the effects of
migration on a minority of people, rather than the majority of people.
Participants complimented UNDP on their use of the word
“mobility” instead of “migration,” and the overall atmosphere of the
presentation was that of optimism and determination for the future.
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Geneva
Social Observatory, 220 Route de Ferney, 1218 Le
Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone
+41 22 734 9601 Fax +41 22 734 9602 E-mail contact@gsogeneva.ch
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