General Assembly Session 61 meeting 4

The President

The General Assembly, pursuant to resolution 60/227 of 23 December 2005, will continue the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development.

I now give the floor to His Excellency The Honourable Mr. Popane Lebesa, Minister for Public Works and Transport of Lesotho.

Mr. Lebesa (Lesotho)

Never before has the issue of international migration been so important as it has been in this new millennium. The Kingdom of Lesotho therefore congratulates the Secretary-General on convening this special meeting.

It is an undisputable fact that international migration involves both very positive impacts and very overwhelming challenges. Issues of human trafficking, human smuggling and acts of terrorism under the guise of migration are some of the challenges bedevilling the phenomenon of international migration. However, issues of international cooperation and regional integration of States, improved migration infrastructure and the globalization drive have also reduced the impact of the negative issues on migration. All these efforts should be channelled towards the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and the strengthening and implementation of Member States' poverty reduction strategies. My country's position is that the international community's commitment and cooperation is needed more than ever before.

I wish to submit a few recommendations to the High-level Dialogue for consideration. First, international migration affects national and regional development strategies and policies, and the disparities that exist between the movement of capital, goods, information and the movement of persons must be addressed in a manner that increases global economic efficiency, reduces unemployment in some sectors in countries of origin and promotes technology transfer, investment and venture capital. Secondly, effective policies and practices must be put in place to address irregular migration, which includes the trafficking and smuggling of persons. The protection of the human rights of migrants and their families, as enunciated in the conventions of the United Nations and the International Labour Organization, is a central component of comprehensive and balanced migration management practices.

Thirdly, there is solid evidence that migration of citizens from one country to another has, in many instances, assisted in improving the economic outlook for one or both countries. The Kingdom of Lesotho has been and continues to be one of the main suppliers of migrant labour to the neighbouring Republic of South Africa. That has earned Lesotho huge economic benefits in the form of remittances that have been repatriated.

The importance of remittances to many households and economies should be recognized. However, remittances in general, should not be seen as a substitute for foreign direct investment, trade, overseas development assistance and debt relief. Policies should be developed to assist remitters and their households by lowering the cost of remitting, removing restrictions on the transfer of funds and improving the level of investment and the productive use of remittances. A professor once remarked that, as long as the trends of globalization and technology retain their current dynamic, the issue of migration with its concepts of "brain drain", "brain gain" and "brain sharing" will remain with us for a long time.

Regional consultative processes such as the Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa are crucial for fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and concerted effort among stakeholders with regard to migration challenges. This High-level Dialogue is urged to recognize their value and to encourage cooperation among them.

Managing migration is a very daunting task for any country. That is complicated by the need for a country to ensure that those who enter its borders are desirable members of our international community, not criminals or perpetrators of terrorist acts. That requires both stern and accommodating migration laws: the legislation should be very harsh to those who have evil intentions when entering a country, while it should facilitate protection for those with noble and acceptable intentions and freedom for them to stay in the country. The balance is delicate and needs the cooperation and continued dialogue of the international community.

The President

Before I give the floor to the next speaker, I have an announcement. As members are aware, the General Assembly heard 20 speakers this morning, and we still have 127 speakers remaining for the High-level Dialogue.

In this connection, there is no alternative but for the Assembly to continue the meeting until 9 p.m. I would like once again to appeal to Member States to limit their statements to four minutes so that we can exhaust the list of speakers at a reasonable hour tomorrow evening. I hope that I can count on the cooperation of representatives to keep to the time limit.

I give the floor to Her Excellency Senator Amanda Vanstone, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs of Australia.

Ms. Vanstone (Australia)

The challenge for States is how best to govern flows of people in a way that achieves the greatest benefit for all the parties concerned -- sending and receiving States and migrants themselves.

Australia's entire social and economic fabric and success have been built upon migration. Over the past decade alone, we have welcomed nearly 1 million people as permanent settlers. Almost 25 per cent of our population was born outside our country.

We are pleased to have been recognized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as an immigration country par excellence.

That experience convinces us that well-managed migration is the best way of ensuring that the process of migration results in the greatest benefits for all concerned and, importantly, of reducing many of the tragic abuses now associated with irregular migration.

Carefully managed legal migration is the best way to protect both the legitimate interests of States and the human rights of migrants. In this way, the scope for the exploitation of migrants by people-smugglers, traffickers and unscrupulous employers is vastly diminished.

The Australian experience also convinces us that well- designed national migration policies backed by effective administrative capacity will do the most to open up opportunities for nation-building and development. Migration policies based on labour market research and analysis, wide consultation with stakeholders and follow-up evaluation ensure that migration is successfully geared to the needs and capacities of a State.

By fostering orderly humanitarian migration, we have been able to make a commitment to seek out those most in need and to maintain a resettlement programme, with generous post-arrival help in all those things required to establish a new life in another country, supported by whole-of-Government funding of about $2 billion every four years. These policies will greatly contribute to a positive experience for individual migrants by ensuring respect and facilitating self-sufficiency and willing participation in our society. The development challenges and benefits flowing from return migration, the recirculation of skills, remittances and diaspora-related investment have all been well documented. Development plans and strategies would clearly benefit from much stronger linkages with the effective management of migration.

The contribution that migration can make to the achievement of development goals is not possible without effective administrative capacity to deliver. We believe that the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with its tremendous experience in migration matters and its worldwide reach, is ideally placed to be the prime vehicle for worldwide capacity-building. In our own region, some States have strong capacities and others do not.

We work with partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region to help build capacity so that we and our partners can reap the benefits of orderly migration and curb the abuses associated with irregular migration.

The very nature of international migration requires cooperation among States. We are a long-term participant in dialogue and cooperation bilaterally, in regional consultative processes and at the global level. We believe that the best way to promote understanding and cooperation on migration is by focusing on shared goals and practical cooperative activities.

At the global level, we participate actively in the high-quality annual dialogue on migration policy sponsored by the IOM. We have been closely involved in best-practice forums such as the Berne Initiative. In our own region, we participate in a range of consultative processes. Australia believes that these processes, and similar regional processes in other parts of the world, form the most effective building blocks for international dialogue and cooperation. We know they work.

Future international dialogue on migration is likely to be most effective if it is built on these existing regional processes. They reflect the shared interests of States and utilize the expertise of bodies such as the IOM.

The President

I give the floor to His Excellency The Honourable Nicholas Goche, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe.

Mr. Goche (Zimbabwe)

Allow me to congratulate you, Madam, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session and to express my confidence that this High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development will have a fruitful outcome under your able stewardship. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the subject under discussion today.

It is indeed a welcome development that the international community has awakened to the importance of international migration, not only as it relates to the globalization process but also as it affects development in both countries of origin and countries of destination. The phenomenon of international migration presents opportunities and challenges when examined in terms of development. It is therefore our hope that this Dialogue will assist us in our collective efforts to map out concrete and practical strategies to turn international migration into a developmental tool that is beneficial to all, in particular developing countries.

The perceived benefits of international migration to developing countries should not be limited to remittances alone. While remittances can go a long way towards improving the livelihoods of the recipient families, they do not constitute a financial resource upon which long-term development strategies can be based. Moreover, remittances do not compensate for the loss of much-needed skilled and professional personnel whom developing countries lose almost daily to developed countries.

Zimbabwe, like many developing countries, invests heavily in the education and training of its personnel. However, a study done in 2005 shows that the country had lost 60 per cent of its State-registered nurses and half of its medical doctors. Such a massive loss of skilled personnel, arising in part from the aggressive recruitment methods employed by agencies and public and private organizations in developed countries, calls for a more systematic approach to addressing this problem at the global level, at the core of which should be mechanisms whereby developed countries compensate developing countries.

For our part, we, as developing countries, should put in place policies and take measures that allow us to benefit in terms of development from the phenomenon of migration. Such measures, which should also target our citizens abroad, should include reducing the cost of remittances, creating development funds to which non-residents can contribute and encouraging non-residents to invest in designated sectors of the economy through appropriate measures to facilitate such investments.

The other side of migration is the one that relates to irregular and undocumented migrants involved in illegal border crossing or "border jumping", as it is known in our region. These migrants constitute a group that is more vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation and human rights abuses, and they form the bulk of economic refugees. It is, therefore, vital that measures be put in place to ensure their protection and humane treatment. Bilateral and multilateral initiatives are needed to ensure better treatment of these migrants. Alongside such efforts should be measures to address the problem of xenophobia through public awareness. Indeed, xenophobic tendencies have become one of the biggest challenges of our time.

The Zimbabwe Government is currently working with UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization to provide humanitarian assistance to irregular migrants who face deportation from neighbouring countries. This initiative, which the Government of Zimbabwe appreciates, is one example of the role that the United Nations system and other international organizations can play in assisting those who find themselves away from home and in difficult circumstances.

Let me conclude by pointing out that, to the extent that migration is the unfinished business of globalization, Zimbabwe will continue to encourage global dialogue on migration. Our considered view is that only internationally agreed strategies and programmes will address the challenges posed by international migration and maximize the opportunities for development that it presents for the benefit of all.

The President

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdulla Ali Mohd Al-Kaabi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Al-Kaabi (United Arab Emirates)

I wish at the outset, on behalf of my delegation, to congratulate you, Madam, and your country on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. Our delegation also expresses its deepest appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, for his efforts in guiding the work of the General Assembly during the sixtieth session. Our appreciation goes also to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his tireless efforts and for his comprehensive reports on the various aspects of international migration and development. We also align ourselves with the statement made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

International migration is a phenomenon that is as old as the human need to search for livelihood and security. If thoughtfully regulated and invested in, it could play a key role in constructive cooperation among the world's nations in the areas of human assistance, the exchange of economic benefits and the building of bridges of cultural tolerance among peoples and States. This would help promote sustainable development programmes, especially in developing countries, and would bolster good relations and strengthen efforts aimed at maintaining international peace and security.

Since its establishment, the United Arab Emirates has recognized the importance of economic and cultural cooperation between friendly and fraternal countries; this carries with it economic and social benefits and gains for all parties. Since oil began to flow in our country, the State has opted to import foreign labour to help build the infrastructure necessary for laying the foundations of a modern State and advancing its institutions in order to achieve sustainable development and prosperity for its citizens.

At the same time, it established a partnership with labour-exporting countries, especially developing ones, to help vitalize their economies and implement development programmes in those countries. It is estimated that external remittances amount to $22 billion annually. Expatriate labour represents about 90 per cent of the total workforce in the United Arab Emirates.

In the light of these statistics and their economic implications, and to protect the special characteristics of Emirate society in the face of the cultural and social impact of values and norms brought into the country by expatriate labour, which could influence the social fabric and demographic make-up of the country, as well as for other sensitive reasons, the United Arab Emirates has enacted a set of laws and regulations ensuring that guest workers in the country are temporary, not permanent, immigrants. These workers do not emigrate to live permanently in the United Arab Emirates; rather, they come on temporary work contracts to perform specific jobs, after which they return home. These arrangements are made according to mechanisms and procedures agreed upon by countries exporting and importing labour and have been endorsed by the International Migration Organization. This arrangement has had positive outcomes and has yielded fruitful results for the economies of both parties.

Acting from its convictions and in line with a policy based on principles of cooperation and respect for human beings and for cultural and religious diversity, the United Arab Emirates provides expatriates with a friendly and tolerant social environment that meets their social and human needs. Believing in the important role that expatriate labour plays in stimulating the economy, the State has enacted laws and regulations to regulate the entry, residence and work of foreign workers and to ensure that their rights are protected in accordance with national laws and international treaties on labour, workers and human rights. The United Arab Emirates has ratified nine international treaties in this sphere.

One of the most important rules was the law promulgated last year by our head of State, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, regulating the use of children in camel racing. It prohibits using children of either sex, under the age of 18, in any form of camel racing and subjects violators to severe penalties. Another new measure was adopted in July 2006, requiring that construction companies allow a two-and-a-half-hour midday break for labourers who work under the sun during the months of July and August, when the temperature rises to very high levels.

In conclusion, we hope that our dialogue will achieve its desired goal of leading our countries towards progress, prosperity and sustainable development.

The President

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. E. Ahamed, Minister of State for External Affairs of India.

Mr. Ahamed (India)

Madam President, let me join my colleagues in extending to you our heartfelt felicitations on your election.

International migration is a subject of much global interest at present. It involves people and has differing impacts on sending, receiving and transit countries, including on their economies and their societies. I am, therefore, glad that international migration is being discussed at the United Nations. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his detailed report (A/60/871), as well as for the events organized as part of the preparatory process for this High-level Dialogue.

India is a major country of origin, destination and transit of migrants, with a long history of attracting people and of sending people to other lands. It is estimated that around 20 million people of Indian origin live in other countries, while another 20 million migrants, including a large number of irregular migrants, are in India today. Overseas Indians, by dint of sheer effort, very often in trying circumstances, have significantly contributed to the countries of their destination, while at the same time playing a positive role in building a bridge with India. Recognizing this, every year we celebrate their achievement with a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, or Day of the Indian Migrant, and have taken several innovative investment and policy initiatives including the overseas citizenship of India programme.

In the context of globalization there is a need to recognize the inevitability of international migration. That presents challenges and opportunities, including the increased demand for specialists in developed countries to strengthen their international competitiveness. In fact, the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects 2006 notes that a rise in migration from developing countries raises incomes of natives in high-income countries. The developed countries would therefore benefit from a greater openness than hitherto in allowing movement of natural persons across national frontiers and from greater political will and determination for a successful conclusion of the GATS Mode 4 negotiations.

High-income countries must address the legitimate needs of migrants, including a refund of their pension benefits and social security contributions, especially in cases of migrations of shorter duration. The lack of appropriate or matching structures in the country of origin should not be made an excuse for the denial of a migrant's legitimate pension benefits. Efforts, especially in the case of short duration migrants, also need to be made to reduce the cost of remittances.

Coming from Kerala, one of the largest places of origin of many of our workers overseas, I can personally testify to the importance of remittances. They are often the most important source of livelihood for the families of the migrant workers, and support not just one, but many persons.

There are no restrictions in India on migrating overseas. We favour a regular, non-discriminatory and orderly process, whether for permanent or short-term migration. In this context, artificial barriers to migration by high-income countries should not be created. Receiving, as well as sending countries, should act to reinforce the positive impacts of from migration and work together in a cooperative atmosphere, while being sensitive to each other's concerns.

We also believe that countries of origin benefit from the return of migrants with skills or capital that they would not have acquired at home. The existence of reliable domestic institutions encourages the involvement of migrants in the development of their countries of origin. Brain drain, as a result of the migration of skilled and highly trained people, can also be translated into an overall gain.

As we speak about international migration today, we also need to note the problematic facet of irregular migration, which is a cause of concern for our collective well-being. Moreover, there are serious security implications, including the use of irregular migrants as an instrument for cross-border terrorism and for creating social tension in the host country. This needs to be tackled with a firm resolve. It is no longer the concern only of domestic law enforcement, but is a matter of global priority requiring a coordinated and a concerted action. A similar firm resolve is required to tackle the scourge of people-smuggling and trafficking, especially of women and children.

Cooperative international efforts should result in comprehensive, mutually beneficial solutions that are based on the best practices dealing with international migration. We recognize that international migration solutions and approaches relevant to a particular country or region may not be appropriate for others. Our efforts should focus on promoting teamwork among nations and maximizing the benefits of international migration while reducing its negative effects. We also believe that regular interaction among countries, including at the United Nations, could result in a win-win situation for all.

The President

I call upon Mrs. Aisha Abdel Hady, Minister of Manpower and Migration of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Mrs. Hady (Egypt)

I wish to express my gratitude and deep appreciation to the Secretary-General and staff of the United Nations for their endless effort in support of the general membership of the Organization and their work towards achieving the internationally agreed development goals. This Dialogue offers a very important opportunity to debate the relationship between migration and development in all its dimensions, in the hope that we can, through this constructive dialogue, establish practical mechanisms and methods that maximize the benefits of migration and minimize its negative impact.

Undoubtedly, international migration, if well managed, can contribute positively to countries of origin and countries of destination in every way -- ,economically, socially, politically, and culturally. Migration also faces many challenges that should be addressed in a responsible and balanced way, and in a cooperative and constructive manner, between countries of origin and countries of destination and relevant international organizations and civil society.

International developments in recent years, including the increasing influence of globalization, have affected the international community, as well as international migration. These developments have led to an increase in the number of people seeking to migrate. Moreover, advances in information technology, coupled with more sophisticated means of communication and transportation, have encouraged citizens of developing countries to migrate to developed countries. The industrial boom and the decline in population growth have also resulted in the need of developed countries to attract working and highly skilled labour from developing countries. This has resulted in a wider gap between countries -- both economically and socially. It has also prompted new motives for migration in poorer countries, particularly in the light of the prevailing shift from planned economies to market-oriented economies, with accompanying growth in unemployment in poorer countries.

There is therefore a need for us to address this developmental imbalance in order to manage the phenomenon of migration -- particularly illegal migration -- while protecting the rights of migrant workers in receiving countries. We should seek to create a spirit of integration between migrants and the citizens of those countries, and constantly work to help generate legal migration by increasing its flow through new channels that maximize its developmental effects.

If the economic effects of international migration constitute an obvious reality, their social effects are also very significant. In this context, all countries are responsible, whether countries of origin or destination, for the protection and preservation of the rights of migrant workers and their families, regardless of their legal status, according to national legislation and international law -- namely, the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which entered into effect in July 2003, and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, particularly the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air.

Egypt believes that all countries should ratify those conventions and that all instruments setting out the rights of migrants should be brought together in one document. Furthermore, we call for the strengthening of international cooperation in promoting the adoption of measures necessary to help migrants to integrate successfully into the communities of recipient countries in all economic, social and cultural fields.

There can be no doubt that linking remittances to development in both countries of origin and host countries is of the utmost importance in helping to eradicate poverty, improve living and working conditions and reduce unemployment. Migration policies should protect the economic and social interests of all the countries concerned, without ignoring the rights of the individual migrant.

Given that remittances from migrants play a prominent role in the economic and social development of countries of origin, every effort should be made to derive the greatest possible benefit from those remittances. This will require cooperation between all parties, in both countries of origin and host countries, aimed at reducing the cost of transferring remittances to countries of origin for investment in development processes.

Egypt would like to emphasize strongly that migrants' remittances represent a private source of capital that must not, under any circumstances, be considered as an alternative to assistance provided to countries of origin in connection with the global partnership to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. Consequently, an increase in the volume of those remittances should not affect the volume of official development assistance to countries of origin.

It is important to highlight that the brain drain -- the migration of highly skilled labourers and scientists from countries of origin to recipient countries -- has a negative impact on the economic, political and social development of countries of origin. This phenomenon is of particular significance given the increasing number of highly skilled and specialized migrants who, by leaving their countries of origin, deprive such countries of the benefit of their investment in the education of those individuals. It is imperative, therefore, that we reaffirm the need to limit the negative effects of the selective migration policies of some recipient countries that lead to the "brain drain". Countries of origin should therefore be compensated for the loss resulting from the migration of highly skilled workers and professionals.

In this regard, Egypt supports the recommendations contained in the report of the Global Commission on International Migration, particularly with regard to directing joint investment projects and foreign assistance towards the sectors and countries that are most affected by the migration of highly skilled labour.

We also welcome the Secretary-General's initiative to ensure cooperation on immigration-related issues, as well as the appointment of a special representative to deal with this vital issue. We look forward to an agreement among the relevant States in that regard.

Due attention should also be given to capacity-building, particularly in developing countries, as that issue is one of the challenges in addressing global migration in a holistic manner. In this context, Egypt emphasizes the need for technical and financial assistance to the source countries in order to provide support to national authorities entrusted with formulating migration policies.

The migration policies and procedures that Egypt has adopted are aimed at legalizing the status of illegal Egyptian migrants in the context of Egypt as a source country. It is in our interests to promote the legalization of the status of illegal Egyptian migrants to the extent that circumstances allow in the recipient countries and to work in close cooperation with our development partners to ensure the adoption of policies protecting migrants from collective deportation and integrating legal migrants and shielding them from racism and other forms of hostility. In that way we can protect legal Egyptian migrants, working within legal frameworks to cooperate with recipient countries and support development plans to create jobs, achieve sustainable development and eradicate poverty.

Egypt is also endeavouring to benefit from the expertise and experience of its migrants, who should be considered a national resource, and to strengthen the link between migrants and their homeland.

To conclude, Madam President, I wish you every success in your efforts during this session.

The President

I give the floor to Her Excellency Mrs. Vilija Blinkevicit, Minister of Social Affairs and Labour of Lithuania.

Mrs. Blinkevicit (Lithuania)

I would like to express my gratitude to the United Nations for having organized this important High-level Dialogue and for its significant contribution to migration, globalization and development issues.

This Dialogue is a great opportunity to discuss the interrelationship between development and migration processes. The enhancing of cooperation as we seek to increase synergy between migration and development is not only a priority for the European Union (EU), but also at the top of the global policy agenda.

Governments, international organizations and other actors involved in international policymaking increasingly perceive migration as a factor capable of contributing positively to the attainment of development goals. In seeking to maximize the benefits of migration and to minimize its negative impact, it is very important to ensure that appropriate policies are in place. We need to find the most effective ways and means of contributing to the enhancement of coherence between migration and development policies. Our activities in this field will also make an important contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Lithuania has already experienced both sides of the impact of migration on development. Our country is dealing mainly with economic migration. The impact has been very recent; however, some trends can already be discerned.

Unfortunately, we are confronting negative migration. At its peak in 1992, some 25,000 residents left the country -- about 0.7 per cent of the population. At that time the change from a planned to a free-market economy resulted in a high unemployment rate in our country, and Lithuanians started to leave to work abroad more frequently.

Currently, potential Lithuanian migrants -- especially young people -- tend to move abroad for short periods for economic reasons and in order to gain experience. The number willing to emigrate is decreasing, because the economy is growing and there are now greater opportunities in Lithuania. There is also better knowledge now of the positive and negative aspects of emigration.

Emigration played a big role in the rapid decline of the unemployment rate and in the increase in wages in Lithuania. On the other hand, emigration has had an effect on the immigration of foreigners into the country. Owing to shortages in the qualified labour force, Lithuanian employers have started to employ foreign -- non-EU -- citizens more frequently.

We recognize the necessity of carefully regulated migration processes. Therefore, Lithuania is seeking to create a single comprehensive tool, both political and institutional, at all administrative levels, to ensure proper and adequate migration management. That will yield appropriate solutions to various problems, including demographic ones.

Lithuania is aiming to ensure the effective management of economic migration issues through domestic policy measures relating to, inter alia, the business environment, the labour market, human resources, skills improvement and health protection, as well as by increasing the economic activity of the Lithuanian people.

Particular attention is paid to informing Lithuanian residents who intend to emigrate abroad about the risks of irregular migration and trafficking, and to informing those who have already left the country about opportunities if they return to Lithuania. Lithuania recognizes that effective return policies are required. For instance, we started a project aimed at the return of our scientists and doctors who work abroad and have observed a lively interest in it. Moreover, we have already seen some signs of return migration in the private sector due to its active development and economic growth and the subsequent increase in wages.

In that context, Lithuania emphasizes its interest in promoting close international cooperation. It is important to exchange best practices in solving migration issues, as well as to create new mechanisms to ensure the positive influence of migration on development.

We know that there is no single miracle solution to the problems we are discussing today. Therefore, we should encourage dialogue based on partnership and cooperation, involving all stakeholders and aimed at proper and effective solutions.

I believe that our meeting today will be an important step in the right direction.

The President

I now give the floor to His Excellency The Honourable Michael Browne, Minister of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Non-Governmental Organizations Relations, Local Government and Persons with Disabilities of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Mr. Browne (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

As this is the first time that I have the honour to address you in your current capacity, Madam, let me extend warm and sincere congratulations to you on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. The delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines extends best wishes for a successful tenure of office, and we offer our support of policies, programmes and practices that objectively advance the welfare of the disadvantaged of the world.

This body is to be congratulated for frontally putting on the agenda the issue of international migration, contextualizing it within a developmental frame. We share the view of Secretary-General Annan, when he expressed the hope that this High-level Dialogue "will be a beginning, not an end". Of course, there are precursors to this encounter since the matter has occupied international attention for a long time. However, it does allow the global community the opportunity to address the issue in a collective manner that could create the necessary political will, thereby permitting the mobilization of relevant and requisite resources.

Although a tiny nation in the global scheme of things, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a large historical and contemporary experience of migration. Our approach to the matter, deriving from that experience, is essentially humanist, and we humbly suggest that it is a philosophical prism through which the issue can be viewed.

The complex dialectic of immigration and emigration, which constitutes migration, demands an appreciation of the context of the phenomenon. If we accept the thesis of push-pull factors at work, clearly we must also acknowledge the connection between underdevelopment and development; that the relatively high standard of living of developed countries cannot, in historical and contemporary terms, be separated from the low standard of living of underdeveloped and underdeveloping countries. That is why issues of economic exploitation, whatever the modus -- trade imbalances, poor working conditions, low wages -- are inseparable from the issue before us, and that is why the issue of reparations must be part of this Dialogue.

The humanist perspective insists that the issue be addressed within the framework of a reconfiguration of the world's resources. This is the axis on which the Dialogue must spin, if it is to have meaning. The effect otherwise would be to perpetuate an injustice against "The wretched of the earth", to borrow the words of a Caribbean son, Frantz Fanon.

The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines places no barriers on emigrants, persons wishing to leave our country, with the exception, naturally, of criminals. But, bearing in mind that emigrants include well-trained nationals, produced at considerable cost to our small nation, we subscribe to the view that appropriate protocols should be established. We in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were very involved in the development of the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol adopted by Commonwealth Ministers of Education on 1 September 2004. Of note also, is the 18 May 2003, adoption of the Commonwealth Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health Workers. The matter of protocols must be a focal point of our discussion.

Immigration is understandably complex, since it raises other issues, among which is security. In other contexts, though not in ours, the matter of xenophobia is of relevance. While we remain receptive to persons from all parts of the world, including retirees who enjoy the tranquillity and fine weather of our beloved homeland, we reserve the right of scrutiny and due diligence. That brings to the fore the issue of bilateral cooperation and agreement, and hence the international dimension.

It is noteworthy that our country operates under the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which established the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy. That Treaty makes provision, under articles 45 and 46, for the movement of CARICOM nationals. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we have passed the requisite legislation in support of certain categories of persons wishing to work and operate in our country.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines affirms its support for the intent and thrust of the April 2006 Brussels Declaration of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries on this issue. That Declaration addresses the gamut of issues from remittances to the repatriation of criminals.

In conclusion, it is necessary for this Dialogue to continue and for us to implement, as speedily as possible, the recommendations of this encounter. In so doing, we must always bear in mind the conditions which give rise to the phenomenon which occupies our attention today.

The President

I now give the floor to His Excellency Jean de Dieu Somda, Minister of Regional Cooperation of Burkina Faso.

Mr. Somda (Burkina Faso)

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