The Global Forum for Migration was organized at the request and with the support of the government of Belgium following the High Level Dialogue HLD of UN in New York in 2006, took place at the Palace of Egmont in Brussels from 9 11 July 2007. The first day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) meeting was devoted to civil society. More than 200 civil society representatives attended the Civil Society Day on the 9th July to discuss relevant issues and to offer organized input to the following governmental discussions on July 10th and 11th. A wide range of stakeholders were brough t together that included: Migration, development and human rights NGOs, including faith-based organizations, Diaspora organizations, Researchers, Trade union representatives, Private sector actors, including money transfe r associations Three specific themes framed the debates, which took place in eight sessions: Human Capital Development and Labor Mobility - Maximizing Opportunities and Minimizing Risks, Remittances and other Diaspora Resource s - Increasing their Net Volume and Development Value, and Enhancing Institutional and Policy Coherence and Promoting Partnerships The conference debated also the mechanisms and strategies of facilitating North South cooperation on how North could receive high skilled migrants from the South without killing the fragile economies of both sending and receiving countries. How circular migration can become a positive movement without turning migrants into illegal and enhance development of their home countries, how and if remittances can be considered as contributions to development. MECC Unit on Life & Service Director Mrs. Seta Hadeshian was among the 12 t o present the report to the governments¹ plenary session on the 10th of July. 150 states and 700 governments¹ representatives participated to King Baudouin Foundation¹s Global Forum for Migration and Development at the plenary session. The Global forum for Migration and Development will meet next year in Manil a - Philippines in 2008. For further information contact MECC/Life & Service Unit: meccls@cyberia.net.lb
Middle East Council of Churches Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon
Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb
+961-1-353-938 http://www.mec-churches.org/