UN Member States called for the post-2015 development agenda to consider human mobility as a factor for sustainable development, in a declaration adopted at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development.
4 October 2013: UN Member States called for the post-2015 development agenda to consider human mobility as a factor for sustainable development, in a declaration adopted at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development.
Over 100 Ministers attended the two-day dialogue, held from 3-4 October 2013, in New York, US, and comprised of four interactive round tables and several side events.
The Declaration of the High-level Dialogue emphasizes the need for reliable data and better understanding of migration within regions, and encourages Member States to cooperate to promote safe, orderly and regular migration, including through labor mobility. With regard to highly skilled migrants, the Declaration calls on States to consider ways to promote ‘circular migration.’
The Declaration recognizes the need to consider the role that environmental factors may play in migration. It calls on governments to cooperate to provide assistance to stranded migrants, and underlines the right of migrants to return to their countries of citizenship.
The document affirms the work of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and calls upon UN, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other intergovernmental organizations to increase their cooperation in the lead-up to the post-2015 development agenda.
In opening remarks to the High-level Dialogue, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented his report on International Migration and Development, which provides an eight-point agenda for action.
UNGA President John Ashe noted the contribution of well-managed migration to reducing poverty, improving human capital, and contributing to global development. He observed that remittance flows from migrants amounted to over US$400 billion in 2012, compared with US$126 billion spent on official development assistance (ODA), saying that migration “must receive its rightful place” in the post-2015 development agenda. [UN Press Release] [Declaration] [Statement of UN Secretary-General] [Statement of UNGA President] [Event Webpage] [UNITAR Press Release on Side Event]