Organizer:

Peter Schatzer
International Organization for Migration
pschatzer@iom.int

Description:

During the last 10 years there has been a significant increase in inter-governmental co-operation on international migration issues, especially at the regional level. Governments have begun to work more closely together within similar frameworks of "Regional Consultative Processes on Migration." These "Processes" have emerged as states across the world have increasingly begun to recognize that sharing information and experiences and co-ordinating action are essential to promoting good migration management.

Typically, consultative processes involve information exchange, policy dialogue and co-operation between states, to address issues such as irregular migration and trafficking, regional arrangements for labour mobility, economic co-operation, and a range of technical assistance programmes.

The IOM has participated in regional consultative processes in Asia, Europe and the Americas. In early March 2000, at the request of some African governments, IOM co-organized a seminar in Lusaka, Zambia, which aimed to launch a consultative process in Southern Africa. Other organizations and individual States too have experiences on "migration diplomacy" to share.

Participants will discuss and take stock of the specific characteristics and achievements of selected regional or inter-regional cooperation, focusing in particular on the problems associated with improving and facilitating the regional exchange of migration information. The progress which has been made in various regional fora to improve information exchange between governments, and to promote better migration management, especially in regard to irregular migration flows, including their return will be discussed. Approaches to information gathering will be compared and whether lessons can be learned, and experience transferred, from one region to another.

Presenters

Frank Laczko, International Organization for Migration, SWITZERLAND
Agustin Escobar Latapi, CIESAS Occidente, MEXICO
Richard Lewis, European Commission, BELGIUM
Susan Martin, Georgetown University, UNITED STATES
John Oucho, Consultant, KENYA
Peter Schatzer, International Organization for Migration, SWITZERLAND
Robert Trempe, Consultant, CANADA
Patrick Weil, National Centre for Scientific Research, FRANCE
Jonas Widgren, International Centre for Migration Policy Development, AUSTRIA