IFAD at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - some considerations

There has been something remarkable about the latest GFMD. Governments are gradually quitting to consider concepts such as migrant rights and mobility as “sylos ideas” and starting to integrate a perspective based on concrete data on migrant flows, remittances, and migrant capital. They are starting considering migrants as integral part of the labor capital of the destination country. They are now discussing broader considerations on the development potential of migrant entrepreneurship and investment initiatives. Since it was created, the Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) has been striving to convey this simple concept: that the untapped potential of remittances lies in the possibility of giving remittance recipients more options to make use of their money. It is therefore nice to see that head of States, gathered here in Puerto Vallarta, are adopting the same perspective while discussing their future approach to migration and development policies.

I attended today the last session of the Forum, where the future of the initiative was discussed. I was pleased to witness that heads of States are interested in showcase (and be showcased) a set of best practices to foster development through migrant capital. The FFR has initiated a number of pilot programmes dealing with migrant investment and entrepreneurship all across the globe. We are committed to making the best use of this experience and will continue participating in this type of events, which truly represent an excellent occasion for knowledge generation.

On a side note, the Forum was also a good opportunity for the FFR to broaden its relationship network with partner institutions. We are interested in getting more and more familiar with the demand, in terms of technical support, from the small organizations dealing with remittances and development. We consider it essential to build on the feedback we received on our operations to draft our next action plan for the period 2011-2013. In this sense, the Forum constituted a unique opportunity get more concrete elements to define our future strategy and broaden our horizons on our way forward.

IFAD at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - days 3 and 4

Government Representatives gathering in occasion of the third and fourth day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development embarked in a series of technical discussions here in at the International Convention Centre in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The IFAD delegation from the Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and the Office of the Chief Development Strategist (CDS) attended the several roundtables and found some of the issues addressed of special relevance to IFAD current and future operations.

The roundtable focusing on the “impact of migration on socio-economic development” announced the release of the so-called “migration profile” study developed by the International Migration Organization (IOM) for 26 countries across the globe. The study is meant to address the lack of comprehensive data on the phenomenon of migration and was very well welcomed by all participants. The core point made by the roundtable was the necessity of adopting a national “culture of evaluation” to assess the impact of migration on economic and social development, and address its cause-effect relationship. The United Kingdom representative highlighted how there is scope for a higher-level commitment of Governments in gathering external expertise, champions, think tank institutions, and international organizations, and carry out rigorous analysis based on baseline and impact surveys and what if...? simulations. Moldova provided some very useful practical hints, such as the development of country-specific indicators as well as internationally comparable benchmark indicators. Within this context, the creation of a “clearing house” for sharing national experience on impact assessment was regarded by Switzerland as a useful tool to proceed in a more coordinated fashion among Governments.

Another debate that is especially relevant to IFAD was the one held on the issue of “climate change and its impact on migration”. The discussion focused on the necessity of improving the accuracy of research data on climate change and the applicability of forecasting models developed so far. States were called to notify the audience on their latest studies and research activities. In this regard, France announced the upcoming development of a comprehensive study on climate change and human mobility in Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Algeria. From its side, Switzerland proposed that all available and future publications be stored in an online, world accessible virtual library. Finally, the necessity of including adequate measures to tackle the impact of climate change of migration in National Development Plans was stressed by many of the countries attending the roundtable.

The afternoon wrap-up sessions of the Forum will conclude these four-day round of meetings around the topic of migration and development. However, the debate on concrete solutions to foster better partnership among Governments and development actors on the issue of migration will continue. Rumors gathered in the corridors and outside official occasions reveal there is growing expectation towards the approach to be adopted for the next Global Forum on Migration and Development to beheld in Switzerland in 2011. Civil Society Organizations want to make sure that more concrete progress on joint public-private initiatives is made by next year, and that the Forum can be the occasion to showcase some good results rather than formal commitments. From their side, Governments seem to be processing on the path of research and policy development, and hope to gather more consensus across their counterpart. So 2011 will hopefully see the answer to many of the controversial issues raised in this Forum, provided that Governments and Civil Society organizations find common ground for enhanced collaboration and mutual benefit.

IFAD at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - day 2

Civil Society organizations and their partners marked their their eagerness to take part in international negotiations on the issue of migration and development on the second day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Discussions held on 8 and 9 November culminated in a declaration on the need for better inclusion of Civil Society organizations in the international debate on migration.

The IFAD delegation joining the Forum, composed of representatives from the Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and the Office of the Chief Development Strategist (CDS) attended as observer the various roundtables and regional consultations held in the course of the two Civil Society days, preceding the Government Days to take place on 9 and 10 November. Of special interest were the outcomes of regional consultations held today. Panelists from the Africa and Europe roundtable stated the need for enhanced action from Governments in harmonizing public policies on migration, in order to ensure better compliance with migrant workers' fundamental rights of mobility, health and welfare. Civil Society organizations in the Asia-Pacific and Gulf States roundtables highlighted the necessity for a more proactive engagement of Governments in balancing the role of migrant sponsor agencies (often known as kafila in Gulf countries) and employers, to avoid any possible abuse or violation of migrants rights. The application of more rigorous monitoring directives on migrant employment procedures was regarded by panelists from the Latin America and the Caribbean roundtable as an imperative step towards better and sustainable integration of migrant workers in destination countries.

The final set of recommendations resulting from these two days' discussions among Civil Society representatives is of course still in progress. But the shared conclusion by all regional consultations was the need of a more proactive engagement of migrant diaspora organizations in Government discussions on migration.

A nice and entertaining parenthesis was offered by the ceremony for the award of the Hestia prize by the Onassis Foundation. Each year, the Foundation acknowledges the operate of an NGO based in the Forum's host country with a special prize. The 2010 award went to the Mexican Association of Social Sector Credit Unions (AMUCSS), which works with rural, indigenous and transnational communities to promote better financial inclusion and local development. AMUCSS was also one of the key roundtable speakers in stressing the importance of access to remittances and financial services by smallholder farmers. IFAD has a long history of collaboration with AMUCSS and the award of the Hestia prize represented a moment of shared emotion for staff of both institutions.

Later during the day, the IFAD stand received once more the attention of the delegates visiting the Forum. Embassies of different countries came to look for successful models for migrant investment initiatives based on remittances. A special interest was also devoted by all visitors to the FFR ongoing and future programme on mobile remittance services. The FFR-developed information hub RemittancesGatweway.org also received the plause of visitors.

The main outcomes of all discussions held in these two days are meant to feed the discussions of Governments Delegates in the coming sessions of the Forum. The IFAD delegation will be present at Government roundtables on 10 and 11 November and will report on relevant developments on this blog.

IFAD at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - day 1

The Mexican town of Puerto Vallarta, formerly a fishermen village and nowadays home to a futuristically-designed brand new Convention Center, is hosting the Fourth Meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD). An IFAD delegation from the Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and the Office of the Chief Development Strategist (CDS) is attending all four days of the event, from 8 to 11 November.

The GFMD is a recent initiative of the United Nations Member States to address the migration and development interconnections in practical and action-oriented ways. It is an informal, non-binding, voluntary and government-led process that marks the culmination of more than a decade of international dialogue on the growing importance of the linkages between migration and development. Following the successful meetings held in Bruxelles (2007), Manila (2008) and Athens (2009), the central theme of this year’s event is “Partnerships for migration and human development: shared prosperity – shared responsibility.” The UN system has contributed to t

he setting of the main themes for discussions and roundtables and has been officially invited to follow this years’ Forum. Within this context, IFAD is joining the GFMD 2010 as an observer, but also to showcase its experience with migration, remittances and rural development through a dedicated stand, and get in contact with Government representatives and potential development partner institutions.

A lot of excitement grew upon the whole event since it was announced, as it is demonstrated by the huge affluence in Puerto Vallarta of Government Delegates and representatives from international development institutions, NGOs, and the private sector. In Puerto Vallarta, at the pre-inauguration session in the evening of 7 November, the FFR met some of its grant recipient institutions, now become old friends, such as its partners from Somalia and Sierra Leone. Several new contacts were made as well, by promoting the FFR funding programme dealing with remittances and innovative opportunities for financial inclusion.

Today, Monday 8 November, the GFMD was officially inaugurated, on the first of the two days dedicated to Civil Societies. Participants gathered around simultaneous roundtables to agree on a preliminary draft set of recommendations on the issue of migration and development. Today’s roundtables provided several interesting inputs a set of subjects that are well known to IFAD, such as the past and recent experience in the empowerment of migrant organizations, the impact of migration on economic and social development, the impact of climate change on migration, and the role of gender sensitive migrations policies. The roundtables also offered hints for discussion on some of IFAD’s emerging strategies, such as the building of partnerships with the private sector and the role of inter-regional fora in including the migration and development nexus.

Among the different roundtables held today, the one on “Building Partnership with the Private Sector” was indeed the most animated. It witnessed a non-stop series of interventions from key players from the non-profit and profit sector. Starting with the former, an excellent example of public-private partnership was provided by the Bancomer Foundation. Bancomer has created through the years an impressive network of financial agents operating remittance transfers and managed to re-direct a great portion of funds from the informal transfer channels to the regularized ones. Targeting remittance transfers in the USA-Mexico corridor, “Cuenta Express” is the new product created by Bacomer in collaboration with VISA Inc., allowing remittance transfers through an integrated mobile platform and making transfer services available also from retail “mom & pop” stores. But the partnership process is not being led by the non-profit sector only. Western Union made an excellent showcase of their soon-to-be “support for investment opportunities” initiative, aimed at supporting migrants and their families develop entrepreneurship models for a productive use of remittances. Exploring the wide range of instruments that are or should be made available to migrants willing to start their own business, a special emphasis was put on guarantee instruments and replicable guarantee fund models.

Breaks and pauses were the occasion to promote IFAD’s experience with migration and remittances issues at the IFAD-dedicated stand provided by the Forum’s organizers. Universities, migrants’ associations and financial service providers inquired about the FFR Annual Call for Proposals mechanism and showed concrete interest in submitting grant concepts in the coming months. Most sought areas for future collaboration were the provision of financial instruments to link remittances and micro-insurance and financial literacy initiatives. Representatives from the private sector (including Western Union itself) also came to the IFAD stand seeking opportunities for joint initiatives with the FFR, in countries where the cost of remittance transfers is still too high for the vast majority of rural people.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 9 November, an official set of recommendations on the issue of migration and development will be adopted during the Plenary Session and reported by the IFAD delegation on this blog.