Distinguished Ambassador María del Luján Flores, Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the OAS, and Chair of the Special Committee on Migration Issues;

Distinguished Ambassador Roberto Alvarez, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the OAS, and Chair of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs;

Distinguished Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the OAS,
Alternate Representatives,
Permanent Observers,
Distinguished special guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As in other parts of the world, migration in the Americas has expanded considerably in recent decades, converting virtually all states in the Hemisphere into countries of origin, transit, and destination of migrants.

In 2002, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) calculated that at least 20 million of the world’s migrants had been born in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Today, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that there are approximately 192 million people living outside their country of birth, that is to say, three percent of the world population, and the number of migrants is expected to grow at an annual rate of 2.9 percent.

Because migration is increasing in our region and in all other parts of the world, today all international and regional forums are addressing the phenomenon and its many ramifications. I will now highlight some of the initiatives being undertaken by various international organizations.

In the United Nations, in the framework of the September 2006 General Assembly, there was a high-level dialogue on international migration and development. On that occasion, the then Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, stressed that “We are only beginning to learn how to make migration work more consistently for development. Each of us holds a piece of the migration puzzle, but none has the whole picture. It is time to start putting it together.”

At the United Nations, the Special Rapporteur for the Human Rights of Migrants in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights oversees protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their families.

Furthermore, within the United Nations system, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) also address the subject of migrants. The ILO deals with international labor migration, including regulation of it and protection for migrant workers. The population division within ECLAC – the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre, CELADE – has conducted numerous studies of international migration, with particular emphasis on migration and development. PAHO is engaged in promoting health care for migrants and refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) promotes orderly and humane management of migration. It also promotes international cooperation on migration issues; helps find peaceful solutions to migration problems; provides humanitarian assistance to migrants. The IOM also recognizes the link between migration and economic, social, and cultural development, as well as respect for the right of people to freedom of movement.

In the 2005 Declaration of Salamanca, the Ibero-American General Secretariat adopted international migration as a core concern of the Ibero-American community. Then, in 2006, the Commitment of Montevideo established a migration agenda within the framework of the principles of international human rights law. The Montevideo Commitment pointed to the need to coordinate policies regarding migration flows, promote the strengthening of human rights in migration practices, and step up efforts to prevent and combat trafficking in persons. The same Summit also addressed the need to facilitate the effective integration of migrants in the countries they migrate to, as well as the need to eradicate discrimination against this vulnerable group. Finally, as far as the Ibero-American Summits are concerned, last November the Santiago Summit reiterated the Commitment of Montevideo.

One outcome of the declarations and commitments of the Ibero-American Summits was the Ibero-American Forum on Migration and Development held in Cuenca, Ecuador, last week, which was designed to create an opportunity for the exchange of sound practices and shared actions in relation to migration and development, with a view to implementing the commitments taken on at the various Summits.

Likewise, the Summits of the Americas process has also stimulated debate on the issue at all the Summits held so far. At both the first and second Summits of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government asserted the need to guarantee and protect the human rights of migrant workers and their families. The Second Summit established a series of commitments to comply with international human rights instruments applicable to migrants in accordance with each country’s legal system.

At the Third Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government recognized “the cultural and economic contributions made by migrants to receiving societies as well as to their communities of origin” and committed “to ensuring dignified, humane treatment with appropriate legal protections, defense of human rights, and safe and healthy labor conditions for migrants.”

The Special Summit of the Americas underscored the importance of cooperation between countries of origin, transit, and destination, to ensure the full protection of human rights of all migrants, including migratory workers and their families, the defense of human rights, and safe and healthy working conditions for migrants, and undertook to adopt effective measures against trafficking in persons.

Finally, the Fourth Summit of the Americas adopted measures to “create jobs to confront poverty and strengthen democratic governance.”

In the OAS, migration has become a priority issue on the Organization’s agenda and one that has been developing systematically.

Through its Special Rapporteur on Migrant Workers and Their Families, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights devotes special attention to migrants, a particularly vulnerable group exposed to great risk of human rights violations. The Rapporteurship monitors migration-related developments in the region and how they affect migrant workers and their families.

In addition, in 2004, pursuant to a General Assembly mandate, the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the Permanent Council established a Working Group charged with preparing an Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants, including Migrant Workers and Their Families. That program was presented to the General Assembly in 2005, with a view to promoting the development of public policies, legislation, and best practices to protect migrants’ human rights.

Last year, the Secretary General presented a plan for following up on the Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants, to ensure its implementation. The Plan assigns specific responsibilities to the different areas of the OAS General Secretariat, including:
- The study and dissemination of national migration laws;
- The exchange of information and technical assistance with respect to human rights with government entities and civil servants;
- The development of programs designed to protect migrant women and children;
- Study of political participation by migrants; and
- The exchange of best practices among the different implementers of this Program.

Then, in October last year, in response to a General Assembly mandate, the Permanent Council established the Special Committee of the Permanent Council specifically charged with adopting an integral approach to migration issues. It is in the framework of that Special Committee that we convened this “Special Forum on Migration Issues” today, bringing together experts from international organizations and specialized agencies and representatives of the political sector and civil society in order to integrate the different sectors and perspectives on the subject of migration. In so doing, the Special Committee is able to ensure that the set of recommendations and actions to be adopted will constitute a significant contribution to a comprehensive approach to this issue in our Hemisphere. I trust that this meeting will exemplify international cooperation on the subject of migration, enabling us to coordinate the initiatives underway in all international and regional forums and agencies.

CONCLUSIONS
For the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, migration is a core component of our economy and social life – as it is for the receiving countries. A recent World Bank report on development and the impact of remittances in Latin America (2007) states that in the past two decades, total remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean increased ten-fold, in real terms. Moreover, in some countries, those remittances constituted a major portion of GDP. In the case of Haiti, for instance, remittances in 2004 accounted for over half GDP. The same World Bank report states that, in general, remittances have a positive impact on the economy of the countries receiving them. Despite that positive impact on the countries in the region, remittances should not be a pretext for delaying or refraining from implementing sustainable long-term development policies.

The international community agrees that international migration could be a powerful force for development, in both the countries of origin and receiving countries, provided that it is accompanied by appropriate policies. It is also acknowledged that migration must be a decision freely taken by the migrant and his or her family, not one triggered by necessity. That being so, it is important to recognize the need to build migration into countries’ development plans and poverty reduction strategies.

From an integral, cross-cutting perspective, the subject of migration involves a host of issues: human rights, political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions; integration, security, health, labor rights, and regulatory frameworks. As such, it is of fundamental importance for the Hemisphere and, hence, for the OAS.

I would like to end my remarks by highlighting one of the considerations brought up at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development in September 2006: “The potential for migrants to help transform their native countries is capturing the imaginations of national and local authorities, international institutions and the private sector... We now understand, better than ever before, that migration is not a zero-sum game. In the best cases, it benefits the receiving country, the country of origin, and migrants themselves”.

I wish you all a warm welcome and hope that this Forum will provide a genuine opportunity for dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and cooperation among all those present today.