20 June 2013: Opening the Fourth International Forum on Migration and Peace, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson urged receiving countries to recognize the significant social and economic contributions made by migrants. He called for measures to address discrimination against migrants and promote understanding of migration as “a critical catalyst for development in a globalized world.”
The Forum took place from 20-21 June 2013, at the New York School of Law, New York, US, and featured panels on: economic security and social security; human security, human development and human rights; South-South and South-North migration; and the global governance of migration, including citizenship and inclusion issues.
Eliasson highlighted the upcoming High-level Dialogue of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which will address international migration and development. He said the October dialogue could help to “anchor international migration more firmly in the global development agenda,” citing the current preparations for the post-2015 development agenda. He suggested migration should be high on that agenda.
Other speakers at the event included: Michael Bloomberg, New York City Mayor; Luis Fernando Carrera, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guatemala; Mårten Grunditz, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN; and Paulo Sérgio de Almeida, President of the National Immigration Council, Brazil. Also represented were private sector and UN organizations, including the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
Mercedes del Carmen Guillén Vicente, Assistant Secretary for Population, Migration and Religious Affairs of Mexico, said reintegrating labor migrants returning to Mexico is one of the country’s most urgent challenges. Yanerit Morgan, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN, stressed that collective efforts will be needed to meet the challenges of migration, and countries need to have concrete assistance to meet their international obligations.
The Scalabrini International Migration Network organizes the International Forum on Migration and Peace to stimulate high-level dialogue and define concrete actions towards human security, human development, migration flows and peaceful coexistence between host countries and migrants. This year’s event was organized in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the Center for Migration Studies of New York. [UN Press Release] [Event Website] [Press Release of Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN (Spanish)] [Information on UNGA Dialogue]