Commonwealth Pre-Global Forum on Migration and Development - Outcomes

Marlborough House, 17 May 2007

Participants in the Pre-Global Forum on Migration and Development convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat at the Headquarters of the Commonwealth, Marlborough House, London, acknowledged the initiative of the proposed Global Migration Group and the Government of Belgium in the convening in July 2007 of a Global Forum on Migration and Development. With the objectives of this meeting being to:

Address existing policies, interventions, issues and challenges confronting partners and stakeholders,
Share good practices and partnership efforts in addressing migration and development at all levels
Identify and agree on strategies to advocate for consideration and action at the Global Forum in July 2007,

we agree that:

Migration can make a substantial contribution to sustainable development, including the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. However un-managed migration can endanger basic service delivery and leave individuals vulnerable to human rights violations.

Temporary migration has the great advantage of encouraging the return of the migrant to his home country. Often this improves skills and experience. Temporary migration may be organized through bi-lateral, pluri-lateral or multi-lateral agreements between developed and developing countries or through the WTO/GATS commitments.

Human Trafficking, Forced Migration and Gender

Migrants can be subjected to abuses and in that regard the gender dimensions of the violations of migrant workers’ rights, the particular vulnerabilities of women and children who are trafficked for forced labour in various sectors and who find themselves without recourse to their human and labour rights, cannot be stressed enough and must be speedily addressed.

Human Capital Loss and the Millennium Development Goals

The issue of the large-scale recruitment and migration of highly skilled personnel, specifically the loss of teachers and health care workers from developing countries and small states is a matter which must receive focus as part of the challenge of “Brain Drain” and the issue of the loss of human capital to developing countries struggling to attain the Millennium Development Goals.

We propose the following for consideration and adoption by the Global Forum in Belgium in July:

The Teacher Recruitment Protocol and Commonwealth Health Code as good practice in Migration and Development:

That the Global Forum adopt these Commonwealth documents as guiding principles and good practices in migration and development to be shared by all. Wealthier countries wishing to recruit teachers and health care workers from poorer countries should provide the means of strengthening the capacity of the poorer country to produce more by aiding and assisting source country institutions and mechanisms through forms of assistance such as institutional strengthening and capacity building to increase the output of skilled professionals in source countries.

Retention and Return strategies:

Promote in every developing region of the Commonwealth initiatives that allow professionals to develop their capabilities in country as well as supporting returning initiatives such as AfricaRecruit, a Commonwealth-supported group which has developed an internet - facilitated programme to get African highly skilled professionals to return periodically to their continent. Improvements in the working environment not only retain staff in post but incentivise those thinking of returning to do so.

Address Forced Migration

Given that economic difficulties, civil and political unrest, crime and even HIV/AIDS can be primary factors in migratory flows, governments must be called upon to address these factors.

Stop Brain Waste

Qualified migrants should not be disadvantaged or relegated to a lower status simply because their qualifications and experience are not recognised in their country of destination. Regulating bodies must facilitate recognition of qualifications, through the use of professional development, if necessary. Whilst standards must be maintained in the accreditation and recognition of qualifications, governments must be encouraged to facilitate mutual recognition of qualifications

Address the need for ethical recruitment from all relevant agencies

Support the International Labour Organization, Education International and the World Health Organization to ensure that when people plan to migrate to other countries they should have access to ethical recruitment procedures, are properly treated, and their rights are respected.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Policy / actions should:

Recognise and respect the rights of migrants, whose human rights must be protected, regardless of citizenship. Initiatives such as the Commonwealth Code for Health Workers and the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol could serve as models for further co-operative and multinational efforts to protect the right of migrants. Information protecting workers’ rights should be widely disseminated.
Provide for the international comparison and recognition of qualifications.
Address the needs and rights of skilled and low-skilled workers through revisiting GATS Mode 4. New or improved commitments on existing categories are needed, as well as more commitments on low-skilled workers.
Encourage and foster the development of appropriate multi-lateral approaches to migration.
Support the free movement of natural persons.
Facilitate remittance transfers and encourage the productive use of remittances.
Support the economic, social, and psychological needs of migrant returnees.
Enhance good governance and work cooperatively across public, private and civil society sectors to strengthen migration management.
Governments should ensure that all legislation on social protection that applies to national workers also applies equally to migrants

Agreed this 17^th day of May, 2007

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