The Workshop on “Strengthening dialogue between ESCWA and ESCAP countries on international migration and development”

Outline Context and rationale Aims and objectives Workshop report Findings and recommendations Advances, gaps and challenges Participant evaluation and next steps

Context and rationale Migration between ESCAP and ESCWA countries is extremely intense, and has important development implications –ESCAP countries: employment and remittances –ESCWA countries: labour force It has some particular features –Migration of an explicitly temporary nature –Migrant-majority countries

Photos: Donovan Storey/IRIN

Context and rationale (continued) However, these migration flows bring important concerns: –ESCAP countries: social protection, divided families, migration costs, “culture of migration”; –ESCWA countries: unemployment of nationals, segmented labour markets, cultural effects of immigration –Shared concerns: rights of migrants, abusive recruitment/employment practices

Aims and objectives ESCWA and ESCAP held an interregional workshop to: –Enhance national-level skills and capacities to design and implement policies and programmes which maximise the gains and minimize the challenges of international migration for development; and –Develop recommendations to feed into future international consultative processes on migration

Workshop report Workshop held June 2011, at the UN House in Beirut Organized by ESCWA and ESCAP Social Development Divisions Participants from 3 ESCWA member country Governments (plus the GCC) and 5 ESCAP member countries, as well as civil society, academics and IOs

Workshop report (continued) Sessions focused on –Key trends and challenges related to international migration and development –Managing international migration while protecting migrants –Assessing migration from a gender perspective –Sharing national experiences and good practices related to the management of international migration and the protection of migrants –Preparing the agenda for future interregional dialogue

Findings and recommendations Findings: –Migration from the ESCAP to the ESCWA region is extremely important. –Potential for development benefits… –…However, the economic, social, and cultural vulnerability of migrants remains high due to gaps in existing social protection measures. –The situation of domestic workers is an area of particular concern

Findings and recommendations (continued) Recommendations: –Migration and development Mainstreaming migration, including return and reintegration Better data –Governance of labour migration Reform of existing systems Bilateral agreements –Protection of migrant workers Social protection Focus on gender dimension of migration –Multilateral and multi-stakeholder cooperation and dialogue

Advances, gaps and challenges Advances: –Increased understanding –Abu Dhabi Dialogue –Memoranda of Understanding Gaps –Lack of implementation and follow-up –Limited civil society role Challenges –Power disparities –Private sector regulation –Domestic work

Participant evaluation and next steps Evaluation results: –Participants were generally satisfied with the workshop and its results, feeling the meeting, knowledge tools and recommendations addressed the concerns and priorities of their countries –Participants indicated they intended to use the findings and recommendations in their work and research Next steps –Final report of the meeting –Publication (forthcoming)

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