N Mapisa-Nqakula: United Nations High-level Dialogue

14 September 2006

Madame President,
Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan,
The President of the Economic and Social Council,
Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

Allow me first of all to congratulate you on your election as President of
the 61st General Assembly of the United Nations. It is indeed a pleasure to see
you presiding, and on behalf of the Group of 77 and China I wish to express our
commitment and support to work constructively with you during your
Presidency.

Madame President,

In 2003, the General Assembly took a decision to devote a High-Level
Dialogue to International Migration and Development to focus on the
multidimensional aspects of international migration and development in order to
identify appropriate ways and means to maximise development benefits and
minimise negative impacts. Several meetings have taken place all over the world
in preparation for this important meeting. During these consultations, we in
the Group of 77 and China stressed the importance of this dialogue to be
continued within the United Nations as part of the efforts by the international
community to promote a balanced and comprehensive approach to international
migration and development. We particularly emphasized the need to build
partnerships and to ensure coordinated action to develop capacities of
developing countries in addressing these challenges. We believe that conducting
this dialogue within the framework of the United Nations will help contribute
to the strengthening of the multilateral system.

In 2005, the High-Level Summit of the General Assembly that met in New York
further acknowledged the important nexus between international migration and
development and the need to deal with the challenges and opportunities that
migration presents to countries of origin, destination and transit, recognizing
that international migration carries with it both advantages and
disadvantages.

There was an acknowledgment that globalisation has highlighted the
inequalities within and among States. Therefore, for us to successfully address
the challenges brought about by migration, we would have to again highlight the
need for globalisation to become a positive force for all, and for its
opportunities and benefits to be evenly shared between the developing and the
developed countries.

The effects of international migration on economic and social development
highlight the complex relationship between underdevelopment, poverty, social
exclusion and migration. In pursuing our goals to meet the internationally
agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we
must intensify our focus in addressing foreign direct investment, trade,
foreign aid, and debt relief so as to reverse underdevelopment, poverty and
skills flight. Meeting the MDGs is central to eradicating poverty and
unemployment, placing developing countries on a path of sustainable
development, reducing recourse to forced and irregular migration and thereby
facilitating migration out of choice.

We also have to ensure good governance at all levels, and implement our
commitment to international transparency in financial, monetary and trading
systems which are open, equitable, rule-based, predictable and
non-discriminatory.

Madame President,

Migrants should be located at the center of the migration debate. The
protection of the human rights of migrants, migrant workers and their families
as enunciated in the UN as well as in the International Labour Organization
(ILO) Conventions is a central component of comprehensive and balanced
migration management. Migration facilitation and enforcement must not
compromise the rights and dignity of migrants. The exploitation of migrants
through mechanism such as trafficking, as well as migrant smuggling, should be
criminalised under domestic and international law. Social pathologies such as
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of related
intolerance, as well as inhuman and degrading treatment, impacts negatively on
development and must be eradicated.

Forced migration and its economic effects on host countries should be given
due consideration. This includes situations of refugees and displaced persons
that result from foreign occupation and armed hostilities.

Madame President,

When debating migration we should acknowledge the very important
contribution made by migrants to the development of countries of destination.
We should also continue to recognise the increasing feminisation of
international migration which requires that we must be sensitive to the
circumstances and experiences of female migrants who tend to be disadvantaged
in the migration experience. We must therefore adopt measures to reduce the
vulnerability, exploitation and abuse of female migrants.

We also should endorse migration policies that empower migrants. Such
policies should enable migrants to capitalise on entrepreneurship programmes
through micro-finance and simultaneously enhance their role in the
Diaspora.

The issue of remittances within the context of migration and development
will surely be further debated within the next two days. It nevertheless
remains important to highlight the need to address and promote conditions for
cheaper, faster and safer transfer of remittances. Remittances must not be
considered as a substitute for investment, trade, foreign aid and debt
relief.

The need to further consider and analyse how the migration of highly skilled
persons and those with advanced education impacts on the development efforts of
developing countries remains.

Madame President,

There is a need for a comprehensive and balanced approach in the
implementation of migration policy and service delivery. The respective roles
and responsibilities of stakeholders regarding migration policymaking,
management and development planning must be clearly defined. Capacity in
migration policy formulation and migration management should be strengthened,
and coherence must be pursued within and between states and also in the
formulation of social and economic policies and migration policies.

Co-operation between State and non-State stakeholders, and between States,
is critical in optimising the developmental impact of migration. The roles of
stakeholders such as government, the business sector, civil society and
inter-governmental organisations, in the migration development nexus must be
understood and be enhanced.

Madame President,

We cannot conclude this debate without focusing on the close and complex
relationships between migration, infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis, on the lives of migrants. The impact on the health of
migrants does not only compromise lives but affects our efforts at addressing
poverty and underdevelopment.

It is clear that this dialogue that we are engaged in cannot be the last
word on the challenges of international migration and development. We would
need to continue with this dialogue within the multilateral context because it
is too important not to have it within the United Nations.

I thank you.

Enquires: Communication
Tel: (012) 810 8613

Issued by: Ministry Of Home Affairs
14 September 2006
Source: Department of Home Affairs (http://www.home-affairs.gov.za)