International Migration and the United
Nations Development Agenda:
From ICPD 1994 to HLD 2006
High-Level Dialogue Series “The Global Migration Debate from the Cairo
International Conference on Population and Development to Present”
United Nations, New York, 12 October 2012
Bela Hovy, Chief
Migration Section, Population Division
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
United Nations, New York
The majority of migrants are from the
South and live in the North
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1990 2000 2010
North>South
North>North
South>South
South>North
Millio
n
Migrant stock by development group and by origin and destination, 2010 (millions)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70Proportion of global ‘diaspora’ residing in their area of origin
Much migration is intra-regional, but
interregional migration increases
Africa Asia Latin America & Carr.
Northern America
Europe Oceania
1990 2010
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
'86-'90 '91-'95 '96-'00 '01-'05 '06-'10
Mil
lio
ns
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
% of immigrants from the South to the
North is significant, but patterns differ
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
'51-'60 '61-'70 '71-'80 '81-'90 '91-'00 '01-'10
Mil
lio
ns
0
20
40
60
80
100
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
'65-
'69
'70-
'74
'75-
'79
'80-
'84
'85-
'89
'90-
'94
'95-
'99
'00-
'04
'05-
'09
Mil
lio
ns
0
20
40
60
80
100
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
'79-'83 '84-'88 '89-'92 '93-'98 '99-'03 '04-'08
Mil
lio
ns
0
20
40
60
80
100
Germany
Australia United States % %
%
Proportion of immigrants from South Total inflow of immigrants
Spain %
Impact of international migration
on population change
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1950-
1960
1960-
1970
1970-
1980
1980-
1990
1990-
2000
2000-
2010
2010-
2020
2020-
2030
2030-
2040
2040-
2050
mil
lio
ns
-10
40
90
140
190
240
290
340
390
1950-
1960
1960-
1970
1970-
1980
1980-
1990
1990-
2000
2000-
2010
2010-
2020
2020-
2030
2030-
2040
2040-
2050
mil
lio
ns
United Nations Population Division/DESA
Total net change
Immigration-emigration
Births-deaths
Europe Slowing decline
Africa Reducing growth,
but little impact
International migration and the UN
development agenda: Major milestones
'91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15
ICPD Cairo
ICPD
+5
CPD on migration
CPD on migration
CPD on migration
Copenhagen Beijing
Millennium Summit
Follow-up -Copenhagen -Beijing
Monterrey
Durban World Summit
Vienna
New York
(children)
[Post-2015 development
agenda]
GA
Ecosoc
Rio+20
ICPD PoA, Cairo, 1994
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and development (ICPD), Cairo, 1994
• Principles, Objectives and Actions
• Chapter X: most comprehensive text on international migration adopted by international community to date
Sub-items in Chapter X a) International migration and development
b) Documented migrants c) Undocumented migrants d) Refugees, asylum-seekers, displaced persons
Before Cairo
1974 United Nations World Population Conference, Bucharest ‘World Population Plan of Action’
1984 International Conference on Population, Mexico City, ‘Recommendations for Action’
Topics addressed: Policies on documented/undocumented migrants, migrant workers, bilateral/multilateral consultations and agreements, human rights, linkages migration and development, displacement
Economic and Social Council, Commission
on Population and Development (CPD)
Monitoring, reviewing, assessing and follow-up implementation PoA of ICPD, including ICPD+5 (Key Actions)
At 30th (1997) session: “International migration and development”
and 39th (2006) session: “International migration and development” => Resolution transmitted to GA for 2006 HLD
At 46th session (2013): “New Trends in Migration: Demographic Aspects” => ECOSOC contribution to 2013 HLD?
General Assembly
On agenda of 2nd Committee every second year
11 General Assembly resolutions to date
Possibility of convening an international conference on international migration and development considered several times
Topics addressed: • Option of remaining in one’s country
• Adopting policies to reduce the cost of remittance transfers
• International cooperation to address root causes of migration and maximize benefits of migration
• Integrating migration coherently in implementation of agreed development goals and in respecting human rights
3rd committee annually (human rights, refugees, …)
Global Commission on International
Migration (GCIM)
Encouraged by SG, independent commission of 19 experts
Chaired by South-Africa + Sweden, supported by core group
Mandate: • Place international migration on the global agenda
• Analyze gaps in current policy approaches to migration
• Examine inter-linkages with other areas
• Present recommendations to the United Nations Secretary-General, governments and other stakeholders
Extensive consultation and research process (2004-2005)
GCIM report
Report “Migration in an Interconnected World: New Directions for Action.” in 2005
Framework for formulation of coherent, comprehensive and global response to issues raised by international migration
6 principles, 33 recommendations
Served as an input to 2006 HLD
14 of the 33 GCIM recommendations already in ICPD ‘Programme of Action’
18) D 01, G 00, NY 99, Co 95, C 94, M 84, B 74
19) D 01, Co 95, Be 95, C 94, NY 99, V 93, M 84, B 74
20) D 01, C 94, M 84
21) D 01, NY 00, Co 95, Be 95, NY 90, C 94
22) D 01, G 00, Co 95, NY 99, C 94
23) D 01, C 94, NY 99, M 84
24) D 01, Co 95, V 93, M 84, NY 00
25) C 94
26) D 01, G 00, Co 95, Be 95, C 94, B 74
27) D 01, Co 95, C 94, M 84
28) D 01, M 84
29) C 94, NY 99
30) D 01, M 84, B 74
31) D 01, NY 99, C 94
32)
33)
Recommendations of GCIM report –
compared to major UN conferences
1) C 94 2) 3) C 94
4)
5) D 01
6) C 94, B 74
7) B 74
8) M 02, WS 05
9) C 94
10) C 94
11) C 94
12)
13) C 94, Co 95
14)
15) C 94, M 84
16) D 01, G 00, NY 00, NY 99, Co 95, C 94, M 84, B 74
17) D 01, C 94, M 84
B=Bucharest, Be=Beijing, C=Cairo, Co=Copenhagen, D=Durban, G=Geneva,
M=Mexico City, NY=New York, V=Vienna
‘Innovative’ GCIM recommendations
2) More realistic and flexible approaches, migrants with potential of specific ‘gap-fillers’ in global labour markets
4) GATS Mode 4: conclusion negotiations, more effort for dialogue
12) Debate on consequences and prevention of irregular migration
14) Irregular migration: provide additional regular migration channels, take action against employers
32) HLD 06: opportunity for greater interaction and coherence, maintain momentum. UN reform process: opportunity for revision of institutional arrangements
33) Inter-agency Global Migration Facility: more coherent/effective institutional response
Limited follow-up on recommendations 32, 33
Inter-agency Global Migration Facility
Functions and ToRs determined by a proposed High-level inter-institutional group (heads of agencies)
Overall objective: comprehensive and coherent approach in the overall institutional response to international migration
8 proposed areas: Policy planning Policy analysis/evaluation
Capacity-building Annual report
Migration/development Facilitating consultations
Data collection/exchange Funding framework
United Nations development agenda
and migration – the future
Rio+20, ‘The future we want’, para 157: Protect human rights of migrants
cooperation and dialogue; comprehensive and balanced approach
‘Realizing the future we want’ report to the SG, para 38:
Enablers: “Fair rules to manage migration” (and others) • “International migration today affects every region… and can be
associated with multiple factors…education, work, poverty, conflict, human rights abuse, hunger, discrimination, natural disasters…”
• “International migration is bringing benefits, including remittances and reduced labour shortages.”
• “Too many migrants continue to work in insecure, precarious and dangerous conditions…”
What goals and targets for
international migration?
Area Target Indicator
Refugees achieve durable solutions, prevention (zero cases)
# of cases
# of ratifications
Migrants Meet quota (for those who have them)
# of migrants
Human rights 100% ratification?
0 HR violations?
ratification of conventions
# of cases?
Trafficking and smuggling
Zero cases Data problematic
Integration Naturalization? Voting rights? Health, employment
Policies, access to social services, labour market, …
Remittance transfer costs
“5x5”
Average transaction costs
Conclusion –
unfinished agenda
- International migration part of the UN development agenda:
- agreed outcome documents of major United Nations conferences, including Millennium Declaration
- addressed in a comprehensive manner – not only migration and development nexus
- many GCIM recommendations based on agreed language
- Part of post-2015 development agenda and Rio+20 follow-up
- But:
- Not in MDGs
- No international conference on international migration to date (but high-level dialogues)
- Unfinished agenda of GCIM
www.unmigration .org
