Belgium will host and organize on 9-11 July 2007 the first meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Brussels at the Egmont Palace.

On 19th of April 2007 at 14.30, the Belgian Minister for development cooperation Armand De Decker and the UN's Special Representative for Migration and Development Peter Sutherland will present the programme of this Global Forum and will launch the website www.gfmd-fmmd.org  created for the Forum.

This Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) is a new process at global level that allows governments of developing and developed countries to discuss practical ways of strengthening the mutually beneficial links between migration and development. It is conceived as an informal, government led, but multi stakeholder process. It is hoped to shift the paradigm of the migration and development nexus, and look at how to better integrate migration as a positive factor in development policies, notably as far as developing countries are concerned in the context of the achievement of the MDG's.

The launching of this new process will take place in Brussels, Egmont Palace, in July 2007. More than 120 governments, and international and regional organizations invited as observers, in total around 600 participants at high political and senior policy practitioner levels are expected at the governmental days (10 and 11 July).

Over 200 civil society representatives are expected to attend the day of the civil society(9 July), organized by the King Baudouin Foundation. They will give input to the governmental discussions.

On 10th and 11th of July, during plenary and twelve roundtable sessions of the governmental meeting, the Forum will address two broad priorities:

- migration and socio-economic development

- best ways to strengthen the links between migration policies and development policies.

These were identified through a survey of the priorities of all the UN member states undertaken by the Belgian government in November. Over 120 countries responded to it.

Within these priorities, three round tables will focus specifically on the following issues:

Round table 1: Human Capital Development and Labor Mobility : Maximising Opportunities and Minimizing Risks (How to maximize opportunities and minimize risks of labor mobility for human capital development in developing countries.

Round table 2: Remittances and other Diaspora Resources: Increasing their Net Volume and Development Value (how to increase the effectiveness of migrant remittances and other diaspora resources).

Round table 3: Enhancing Institutional and Policy Coherence and Promoting partnerships

The meeting of July is prepared in a participative way, and 12 inter-continental teams are working in coordination with the Belgian international taskforce created for this purpose, to prepare background material which will be the basis of the discussions. Regular consultations are held with the Friends of the Forum, an informal open ended group of member states.

The July meeting is expected to move beyond the usual analysis and produce concrete and action oriented outcomes, such as the identification of best (and bad) practices, policy or practical models for better integration of migration in development policies and for development in migration policies, the identification of knowledge gaps on the impact of migration on development and vice versa, the creation of new multistakeholder partnerships, etc.

During this press conference, Minister De Decker and Mrs Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy DG International Organization for Migration (IOM/ OIM) will also focus on the MEDMA project (« les Marocains résidant à l'Etranger pour le développement du Maroc »). This project will have the objective to contribute to the economic development of the Northern regions of Morocco through the involvement of the Moroccan Diaspora of Belgium.

PRESS APPOINTMENT:

Journalists are invited for this press conference.

Press RDV : on 19th April at 14.15, Egmont Palace, Petit Sablon, 1000 Brussels.

PLEASE REGISTER !!!! Journalists must be accredited.

Registration must be completed before 12.00 Wednesday 18th April 2007 by e-mail at presse@diplobel.fed.be

Please mention first name, second name, media, mobile telephone number, BELGIAN or EUROPEAN COMMISSION press card nr.

Contact press:

Minister for Development Cooperation De Decker

Eric Silance
Spokesman
Office :+32 2 5018840 Mobile : +32 475/756 288

Press Department Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs

François Dumont
Deputy spokesman
Office. +32 2/501 8042
Mobile : +32 475 72 76 35

United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC)

Jean-Luc Onckelinx 

Information Officer for The EU Institutions and the Benelux countries
Tel. 32.2.788.84.54 Mobile : +32.476/215.485

King Baudouin Foundation

M. Jean-Paul Collette
Responsable de la communication- relations presse
Tel. : +32 2 549 0278 Mobile : +32 474 997075
www.kbs-frb.be