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Expert group meeting on international migration and development in the Arab region: Challenges and opportunities

Beirut, Lebanon

Date: 
15 May 2006 to 17 May 2006

Overview

The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs organized an expert group meeting on challenges and opportunities of international migration for development in the Arab region. The meeting was held at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut, Lebanon from 15 to 17 May 2006.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for substantive examination and discussion of key issues that Governments, international organizations and civil society face in addressing the challenges and opportunities that international migration poses for development in the Arab region. The Meeting brought together experts from academia and research centers as well as representatives from national governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector. The meeting provided a platform to exchange views and debate regional issues on international migration and development in preparation for the first High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which was convened by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2006.
 

Documents

Organization of work

Monday, 15 May 2006
09:30 - 11:00

Opening of the meeting

 
  • Executive Secretary, UN/ESCWA. Opening statement
  • John Wilmoth,  Director, Population Division, UN/DESA. Opening statement

I. International migration trends and policies in the Arab region

  • United Nations Population Division. International migration in the Arab region ()
11.30-13:00

I. International migration trends and policies in the Arab region (cont'd)

 
  • Issam Al Zaim, Centre for Arab Studies. Migration in the Arab region: A policy perspective

  • Philippe Fargues, Consortium for Applied Research on International Migration. International migration in the Arab region: Trends and policies(paper)

 

14.00 – 15.30

 

II. International migration and socio-economic development

 
  • Heba Nassar, American University, Cairo. Demographic transition, employment and labour migration in the Mashreq countries (paper)

  • Andrea Gallina, Roskilde University. The impact of international migration on the economic development of countries in the Mediterranean basin (paper)

 

16.00 – 17. 30

III. Temporary labour migration in the Arab region

 
  • Nasra Shah, Kuwait University. Migration policies and their effectiveness in GCC countries (paper)

  • Mohamed Dito, Economic Development Board, Bahrain. Governing labour migration in GCC countries (paper)

  • Maitha Al Shaimsi, UAE University. Labour policies in GCC countries: Lessons for the future (paper) 

 

Tuesday, 16 May 2006
09.30 - 11.00

IV. Highly-skilled migration: Challenges and opportunities

 
  • Jean Christophe Dumont, OECD. Education levels and skills of Arab  emigrants in OECD  countries (paper)

  • Mohammad Mghari, Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Démographiques, Morocco. Skilled labour migration and development:The Maghreb experience

  • Caglar Ozden, World Bank. Brain drain in the Arab countries (paper)

 

11.30 – 13.00

V. Transnational communities and return migration

 
  • Boutros Labaki, Institute for Economic and Social Development. The role of transnational communities in fostering development in countries of origin: The case of Lebanon (paper)

  • Abdel Kader Latreche, Qatar Planning Council. Arab entrepreneurs and labour market demand in the European Union

  • Mohammed Charef, Obervatoire Regional des Migrations Espaces et Societies.  The role of circular and return migration in local development  

 

14.00 – 15.30

VI. Remittances: development impact and policy responses

 
  • Richard Adams, World Bank. Migration, remittances and development in the Arab region (paper)

  • Mahmed Lamine Fares, ESCWA. The macro-economic impact of remittances in Egypt, Jordan and Syria (paper)

 

16.00 – 17.30

VI. Remittances: development impact and policy responses (continued)

 
  • Mohamed Khachani, Faculty of Law, Mohammed V University. Remittances and socio-economic development: The Maghreb experience (paper)

 

Wednesday, 17 May 2006
09.30 – 10.30

VII. International migration in the Arab region: prospects for governance and management

 
  • His Excellency Ambassador Reda Ahmed Shehata, former Commissioner of the Global Commission on International Migration

 

11.00 – 12.00

VIII. International migration in the Arab region: the role of international organizations

 
  • Ibrahim Awad, ILO. The role of the International Labour Office

  • Mr. Luigi Carta, IOM. The role of the International Organization for Migration

  • Khaled Louhichi, LAS. The role of the League of Arab States

  • Abdel Mawla El Solh, ICMPD. The Mediterranean Transit Migration Informal Dialogue 

 

12.00 – 13.00

Closing of the meeting

 
  • UN/ESCWA. Summary and conclusions

  • John Wilmoth, Director, Population Division/DESA. Closing remarks