Fifty-eight rich and poor countries have agreed that human rights of migrants must be protected and costs of migration as well as transfer of remittances must be lowered.
After a two-day hectic discussion, these countries agreed on some recommendations on migration so that origin and destination countries as well as migrants can be benefitted, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told a press briefing held at a city hotel yesterday.
A total of 88 government officials from 58 countries and 27 officials from different international and civil society organisations took part in the two-day “Global Expert Meeting on Migration and Post-2015 Development Agenda”.
The meeting also endorsed a set of recommendations to be put forward to the UN Secretary General for discussion in the open working group meet which would decide on the future development model.
The meeting acknowledged that migration is an integral component of development and migrants are the agents of development, the foreign secretary said. “We also agreed that rights of migrants must be upheld and agencies must operate in a socially responsible manner.”
There are some risk factors, including human trafficking and smuggling, and there are certain recommendations on the issues, he added. “We want safe and affordable migration and rights of migrants must be upheld because it will help the origin and destination countries and migrants as well,” Shahidul said.
When asked about different stances of rich and poor countries on migration issue, he said all the countries must find a common space. “Bangladesh and Switzerland will organise a side event on migration at the 69th UNGA session in September,” he said.
In the concluding session of the meeting, the foreign secretary said migration is still perceived as a political issue and hurdle of politics needs to be crossed. “Let it be a development issue, not a political issue,” he said.
Swedish Special Ambassador for International Cooperation on Migration Issues Eduard Gnesa said the meeting covered different issues like health, education, decent work, economic growth and means of implementation.
“These recommendations will lead us now in two weeks to the Global Forum of Migration and Development which is chaired by Sweden and Bangladesh,” Gnesa said.
Nikhil Seth, director of the Division for Sustainable Development at the United Nations, said all countries must be very vigilant that the recommendations articulated in the meeting and other meetings would not be excluded from the post-2015 agenda.
He said it is important to have national strategy in the origin and destination countries because there would be national specific achievement of the objectives.
He also emphasised on legislation on migration, saying that some issues like reduction in remittance cost is not the issue of legislation. It is a process and partnership needed at national level and cooperation needed at international level, he said.
