RP to host 2nd Global Forum on Migration

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will host this Thursday the second Global Forum on Migration and Development to tackle issues concerning the welfare and empowerment of migrants.

A Malacañang statement said the Philippines was the unanimous choice of the 125 member states of the International Office of Migration (IOM) and 16 observer states.

The overall theme of GFMD Manila 2008 is "Protecting and Empowering Migrants for Development."

President Arroyo invited IOM director general William Lacey Swing Friday to attend the forum.

The GFMD is an annual international conference on migration and development issues, following the High Level Dialogue on Migration organized by the United Nations (UN) in New York in September 2006.

The first GFMD was held in Brussels, Belgium on July 9-11, 2007. It featured back-to-back sessions by civil society groups (Civil Society Day) and the governmental groups (Governmental Days).

Participants tackled three themes, including Human capital development and labor mobility; Remittances and other diaspora resources; and Enhancing institutional and policy coherence and promoting partnerships.

IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, promote international cooperation on migration issues, assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people. - GMANews.TV

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