The Center for migration Studies of New York: Conference on International Migration and development.

For thirty years the Center for Migration Studies of New York has organized legal conferences to provide a forum for discussion and update on the most recent legal development in the field of migration. Following major intergovernmental events on migration and development in the past years, the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has organized the Conference on International Migration and Development: Continuing the Dialogue – Legal and Policy Perspectives, in New York 17-18 January 2008.

The directors of the two offices of SIMN had an active role in the conference where they had the opportunity of presenting the mission of SIMN to many of the delegates, government and NGOs representatives.

The Conference provided a timely opportunity for experts, researchers, policy makers and program officials to critically review the outcomes, implications, and achievements of past intergovernmental events as well as a candid appraisal of where the debate on international migration and development is headed. With participants from Permanent Missions to the United Nations, academia, researchers, media, policymakers and practitioners, the broad diversity of participants with different perspectives and interests provided valuable interactions, offering insights into policy and legal implications and appropriate policy measures.

The Conference was opened by Mr. Brunson McKinley, Director-General of IOM, Father Joseph Fugolo, c.s, Executive Director of CMS and Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. 

A focus on legal and policy aspects relating to international migration, and the welfare, rights and integration of migrants rounded out the first day of this Conference, led by members of academia, the private sector and government. The Conference continued with discussions on international labour mobility and development. Discussions on partnerships included inputs from members of The New York Times, the MacArthur Foundation and the Global Migration Group. A panel focusing on diasporas, remittances and development included studies and real world examples that link these areas of migration to development.  The Conference was closed with a discussion on research priorities and gaps, with a special focus on the environment and migration.

A publication of the papers presented for the Conference is scheduled to be released by September 2008