Oral Statement
Working Group on Migration and Development, 24/June/2015
Thank you co-facilitators. We appreciate the contributions of states for including migration in the Zero Draft and we welcome Ambassador Kamau’s commitment yesterday to strengthen the place of migration in the document. We therefore make the following suggestions:
1. The Zero Draft should include both internal and international migration.
2. It should also call for migrants’ human rights to be upheld in all situations and circumstances, including migrant children should never be placed in detention.
3. Paragraph 12 frames migration as a threat to development similar to violence, conflict and humanitarian crises and this is hugely problematic. Forced migration and displacement are actually the result of these structural causes. As agreed by all states at the 2013 High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development, migration can become a transformative power for sustainable development if and when states recognize and facilitate the positive contribution of migrants in countries and regions of origin, transit and destination. It is essential to ensure the full participation of migrants in policy decision making.
4. The document should call for enhanced access to and portability of social security entitlements and earned benefits, enhanced recognition and validation of foreign qualifications, education and skills, promotion of decent work, fair wages and elimination of bonded labour, reduction of recruitment costs and combatting unscrupulous recruiters. It should also call for promoting migrants’ contribution to trade, investments and technology transfers, and reducing the transaction costs of remittances to below 3% by 2020.
5. The document should call on countries to implement effective social communication strategies, in order to prevent and eliminate racism and xenophobia and facilitate social integration.
6. We propose a thematic review mechanism on migration with a key role of relevant institutions such as the GFMD and civil society including migrant, diaspora and development organizations.
We welcome this time for dialogue on these points. We have included detailed amendments as part of our longer statement.
Detailed Amendments to Zero Draft
Working Group on Migration and Development
Following the above analysis and positions, civil society proposes the following amendments (in bold and underlined):
On par 12 (page 3): We are meeting at a time of immense challenges to sustainable development. There are rising inequalities within and between states. There are enormous disparities of opportunity, wealth and power. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is growing. Spiraling conflict, violence and extremism, humanitarian crises resulting in forced migration and displacement and threatening to reverse much of the development progress made in recent decades. Natural resource depletion and adverse impacts of environmental degradation, including drought and the prospect of irreversible climate change, add to the list of challenges which humanity faces. The survival of many societies, and of the planet itself, is at risk. (SHORT VERSION)
On par 15 (page 3): We envisage a world free of poverty, inequality, hunger, disease and want.
On par 21 (page 4): Vulnerable sections of the population….the needs of others who are vulnerable, such as internal and international migrants...
On par 22 (pages 3-4): We commit to providing quality education at all levels – early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary. All people irrespective of gender, migratory status, race or ethnicity, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, children and youth in vulnerable situations, should have access to learning that helps them acquire the knowledge and skills needed to exploit opportunities and to participate fully in society.
On par 24 (pages 5): We will seek to build strong economic foundations for all our countries. Sustained and inclusive economic growth is essential for prosperity. We will work to build dynamic, sustainable and people-centred economies, promoting youth employment in particular and decent work for all – including migrant workers. All countries stand to benefit from having a healthy and well educated workforce with the knowledge and skills needed for productive and fulfilling work and full participation in society. We will therefore adopt policies which increase productivity and productive employment, financial inclusion, agricultural and industrial development, sustainable transport systems and modern energy provision.
On par 26 (page 5): We recognize that sustainable and equitable urban development and management are crucial to the quality of life of our people. We will work towards inclusive urbanisation with local authorities and communities to renew and plan our cities so as to foster community cohesion and personal security and to stimulate innovation….
On par 29 (pages 6): We recognize the intrinsic value of diversity, culture and sport as enablers of sustainable development. We acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity of the world and recognize that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to sustainable development. We recognize the transformative contribution of migrants for inclusive growth and sustainable development in countries of origin, transit and destination countries, and will make efforts to provide for the orderly, safe, responsible and regular migration and mobility of people. Migrant children should be protected from all forms of violence and exploitation and they should not be detained under any circumstances.We pledge to foster inter-cultural understanding, tolerance, mutual respect and an ethic of global citizenship and shared responsibility in order to prevent and eliminate xenophobia and facilitate social integration.
On par 30 (pages 6): The new Agenda deals also with the means required for implementation of the goals and targets. We recognize that these will require the mobilization of financial resources (both public and private, domestic and international) as well as capacity - building, the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and a wide range of other supportive policies and measures. States, business, civil society, the private sector and philanthropic organizations will feature prominently in relation to resource mobilization and implementation of the Agenda. Whilst migrant remittances can be used for productive aims, inter alia, to set up small businesses, creating jobs and thus contributing to economic empowerment and household incomes, we recognize that these resources are private flows and cannot substitute for other international financial flows, including ODA and other forms of financial support for development.
On par 10 (page 30): Thematic reviews of progress will also take place at the HLPF and in other inter-governmental forums, including the ECOSOC functional commissions and other relevant subsidiary bodies and mechanisms. These reviews will be aligned with the cycle and work of the HLPF, where possible.
