SIXTH INTERNATIONAL METROPOLIS CONFERENCE

WORKSHOP 49: Global migration challenges - need for a new global framework for dealing with movements of persons

Thursday, November 29, 2001
14:0 - 17:30


ORGANIZERS

Irene Stacher
Federal Office for Refugees,
Berne and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Vienna
Irene.stacher@icmpd.org

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Goals: The aim of the workshop is a discussion on migration policy perspectives and possible elements of an eventual future global framework for migration management. The workshop will deepen the discussion initiated at the International Symposium "The Berne Initiative" (Symposium organised by the Swiss Government on a global migration framework). The main findings and results of the Symposium "The Berne Initiative" in general and the workshops in particular will be presented.

Policy relevance:
Although international migration increasingly becomes a global challenge there is an absence of a co-ordinated intergovernmental framework for dealing with international migration. Despite a high number of well functioning international instruments to deal with migration and asylum issues and an increased interest among states to enter into a multilateral dialogue with a view to better managing migration by way of a co-operative framework, international migration has not been dealt with previously in a consistent and strategic manner at the global level. Policy makers and other persons dealing with migration increasingly believe that global migration challenges call for broader and comprehensive approaches in migration policy and management. Such an approach includes interests of the migrant sending, receiving and transit countries, economic and demographic needs and demands, international security and stability, protection of human rights including migrant and migrant workers rights, economic co-operation with migrant sending countries, etc.

PARTICIPANTS

The discussion of the global migration challenges for the coming decades and the instruments to deal with international movements of persons should include:

Policy makers and International Organisations:

Mr. Gottfried Zürcher, Vice Director, Federal Office for Refugees, Switzerland
Mr. Jonas Widgren, Director General, ICMPD

Researchers:

Prof. Sandro Cattacin, Swiss Forum for Migration Studies, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Prof. Rainer Münz, Universität Berlin, Germany
Olga S. Tshoudinovskikh, Moscow State University
José Carlos Marques, Catholic University of Coimbra and Pedro Gois, University of Porto
Pedro Gois, University of Porto and Centro de Estudos Sociais, Portugal

NGO's
Mr. Alberto Achermann, Swiss Refugee Care

International comparison
In the context of globalisation and geopolitical changes migration has become a worldwide phenomenon that includes most of the states in the world either as receiving or sending or even transit country. Therefore this workshop will include a comparative approach and an exchange of views and positions from different countries. Different experiences from regional co-operation structures and other functioning co-operation frameworks will also be discussed.

Discussion
There should be enough time for an extensive discussion with other participants attending the workshop.

DURATION: 2 sessions of 1,5 hours (the audience should be a small group to ensure a good discussion - further more an appropriate documentation of background papers on the results of the Berne Initiative will be available).
The 4 discussion papers and conclusions of the Symposium "the Berne Initiative" will be sent to all panel discussants before the Conference.

Structure of the Sessions:

1. Session: Chair: Mr. Zürcher and Mr. Widgren
a) The 4 discussion papers and conclusions of the Symposium "the Berne Initiative" will be presented by Mr. Zürcher and Mr. Widgren (about 20 minutes) [Paper I] [Paper II] [Paper III] [Paper IV]
b) a structured discussion with the audience will follow
Discussion points (short introduction by the Chair):

· Identification of basic elements, principles and structures for a global framework and state-to state co-operation on international migration (derived from best practices)
· Do they meet the interests, needs and objectives of the main state actors in international migration in sending, transit and receiving countries?
· How to plan and realise specific objectives?

2. Session: Panel discussants: Mr. Cattacin, Mr. Münz, Ms.Tshoudinovskikh, Mr. Marques and Mr. Gois and Mr. Achermann
The panel discussants will give short statements on selected discussion points or on specific discussion points turned up in session 1. After discussion with the audience.

Preliminary discussion points:
· How should from an academic and NGO's perspective the international co-operation and migration management be developed especially in the context of current migration trends and new challenges (globalisation, new economic and demographic needs, new mobility of people, economic disparities, illegal migration, human right protection requirements, etc.?
· Do the proposed principles and structures for a global framework discussed in Session 1 of this Workshop meet these needs?
· How can migrants benefit from a better interstate co-operation in the field of migration?