| ACP GROUP BRUSSELS RESOLUTION ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACP/28/018/08 Final PAHD Dept: AK/mjb
The 2nd Meeting of Ministers in charge of Asylum, Migration and Mobility of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, held in Brussels, Belgium, on 29 and 30 May 2008: I. PREAMBLE A. Reaffirming the principles and objectives enshrined in the Georgetown Agreement, as amended in 2003, establishing the ACP Group; B. Reaffirming also the provisions on Migration as captured in Articles 13, 79 and 80 of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement; C. Recalling the importance of principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations of 1945, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, and other relevant international Conventions and Protocols; D. Reaffirming the “Brussels Declaration on Asylum, Migration and Mobility” adopted in 2006, which continues to remain valid, and noting the progress made towards the implementation of its Plan of Action; E. Acknowledging the various Decisions, Declarations, Resolutions and initiatives of sub-regional, regional and continental Meetings that reinforce the nexus between migration, development and international trade and finance, including foreign direct investment, as captured in the “Brussels Declaration on Asylum, Migration and Mobility” and its Plan of Action; F. Acknowledging also that well managed migration and mobility programmes and policies are important instruments for sustainable development, and thus contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); G. Reaffirming the necessity to intensify South-South and North-South cooperation in the area of migration, and their essential roles in augmenting and deepening exchanges, thereby intensifying inter-cultural dialogue between nations, promoting peace, facilitating capacity building in the management of migration issues and the mobility of ACP migrants; H. Recognising that climate change related phenomena can induce forced movement of people in ACP States and Regions, which in turn can cause environmental degradation; I. Recognizing the special needs and unique characteristics of Small Island Developing States (SIDSs), and related development challenges; J. Acknowledging that human insecurity and migratory flows are exacerbated by external shocks such as the fluctuation in international commodity and food prices, and changing WTO rules, as well as natural and man-made disasters, that threaten sustainable development; K. Noting the outcomes of the 1st Global Forum on Migration and Development, held in 2007, and welcoming the preparations for the 2nd Forum, scheduled in 2008; L. Acknowledging the role of migrant women for the promotion of sustainable development in ACP States and Regions; M. Noting the need to address the institutional challenges of multi-actor coordination at the global level that is needed to manage the root causes, risks and consequences of migration, while exploiting migration to the benefit of sustainable development; N. Recognising the need for mechanisms, including funding, for re-integration of deported criminals in their countries of origin; II. ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRUSSELS PLAN OF ACTION ON ASYLUM, MIGRATION AND MOBILITY 1. Takes note and commends the implementation of the Brussels Plan of Action, notably the launching and effective implementation of the Intra-ACP Migration Facility, including the ACP Migration Observatory during 2008; 2. Encourages ACP States and Regions, in particular the National and Regional Authorising Officers, to allocate adequate financial resources to ensure the effective follow-up of the implementation of the Brussels Plan of Action on Asylum, Migration and Development; III. CONTRIBUTION OF MIGRANTS AND DIASPORA TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 3. Undertakes to conduct research and promote the role of migrants’ and diasporas’ networks to share experience and the positive aspects of migration, in particular the transfer of technology and enhanced skills, remittances, and support for migrants in recipient countries; 4. Recommends the development and
promotion of innovative solutions for curbing illegal migration and brain drain
in ACP countries of origin, notably through brain gain and circulation by the
implementation of flexible circular migration programmes; 5. Calls on ACP States to ensure and/or strengthen a suitable legal and financial environment for enhancing the multiplier effects of remittances, and recommends the reduction in the cost of transfers, while recognising the private nature of these funds and that they can never be a substitute for official development aid; 6. Urges ACP States and Regions and international development partners to ensure that development cooperation is not conditional on the existence or adoption of national migration policies in ACP States and Regions; 7. Calls on ACP States and Regions to share their experience of the movement of natural persons in the development-oriented Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in order to benefit fully from the potential of future trade negotiations in different fora; 8. Recommends that ACP States and Regions should capitalise on existing structures for management of, and international dialogue on migration, and institutionalise information sharing between Regional Integration Organisations and the ACP Secretariat; 9. Calls on ACP States and Regions to continue to engage the European Union (EU) to ensure that the new Mobility Partnerships and other agreements with the EU, assist ACP States and Regions in managing intra-ACP migration according to their own priorities and development needs, and create modalities to facilitate legal ACP-EU migration; IV. MIGRATION AND ENVIRONMENT 10. Recommends the adoption of measures allowing for a better analysis of the nexus between migration and environment, especially the collection and dissemination of research and data on environmentally-related migration and the environmental impact of forced migration; 11. Invites ACP States and Regions to formulate policies and legal frameworks, and to provide adequate funds to address the negative impacts of climate change, such as land degradation, droughts, rising sea levels floods, hurricanes, cyclones and coastal erosion in ACP States and Regions, and in particular the Small Islands Developing States (SIDSs); 12. Recommends the adoption of measures to combat the growing practice of dumping toxic waste in ACP waters and territories with severe consequences to health and livelihoods that can induce forced migration; 13. Calls on the international community to mitigate and reverse the adverse impact on environmental degradation and environment related migration; V. MIGRATION AND HUMAN SECURITY 14. Calls on ACP States and Regions to support efforts aimed at reinforcing intra-ACP and international cooperation and coordination to address the migration and human security nexus; 15. Calls on the ACP Secretariat to commission a study by 2009 on best practices for the promotion of the integration of migrants in host countries; 16. Urges ACP States and EU Member States to put in place, implement and enforce legislation to combat racism and xenophobia, prevention of statelessness and protection of migrants’ property, as well as to conduct public awareness campaigns; 17. Calls on ACP States and Regions to adopt a holistic approach to the management of the inter-linkages between asylum, mobility and the issues of development and under-development, human rights violations and poor governance; 18. Urges ACP States to ratify the relevant legal frameworks, including the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, adopted in 1990, to combat human trafficking and smuggling in order to enforce migrants’ rights, notably those of migrant workers; 19. Calls on the ACP States to enter into a dialogue with the EU and other development partners to address the situation of undocumented labour; 20. Pledges to support, politically and financially, programmes designed to train and sensitise all stakeholders and actors, the public and media for the consideration of themes related to migration, promotion of peace and the prevention of conflicts at local, regional and all-ACP levels; 21. Calls on ACP States and Regions to further improve governance that will allow for the enhance management of asylum, migration and mobility; VI. CONSIDERATION OF MIGRATION IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES 22. Undertakes to consult and initiate dialogue with NSAs in defining migration programmes and strategies; 23. Ensures that adequate financial
resources are provided from the 10th EDF, EU budget, EU Member
States and other sources of funds to continue the implementation of the 2006 Plan
of Action, and to implement the ACP Group Brussels Resolution on Migration and
Development; 24. Invites the ACP Secretariat and the European Commission to jointly develop a high quality “All-ACP Know-How Transfer Programme”, mobilizing existing ACP human capacity in support of development projects and programmes through short to medium term missions in ACP States and Regions; 25. Calls for the expansion, under the 10th EDF and other sources of funding, of the scope and financing of the Intra-ACP Migration Facility to take into account the impacts of climate change on migration; VII. FINAL PROVISIONS 26. Pledges to promote, through sharing the “ACP Group Brussels Resolution on Migration and Development” to all migration stakeholders in ACP States and Regions, NSAs and development partners; 27. Recommends the creation of a Ministerial Working Group to support and monitor the Implementation of the “Brussels Declaration and Plan of Action on Asylum, Migration and Mobility” and this “ACP Group Brussels Resolution on Migration and Development”, and to report progress thereon to the next Ministerial Meeting; 28. Calls upon ACP States and Regions, the Chairperson of the 2nd Meeting of ACP Ministers in charge of Asylum, Migration and Mobility, ACP Secretariat and joint ACP-EU institutions, in collaboration with all relevant national, regional and multilateral development partners and financial institutions to support, monitor and participate in the implementation of this Resolution; 29. Mandates the Chairperson of the 2nd Meeting of ACP Ministers in charge of Asylum, Migration and Mobility to communicate the “ACP Group Brussels Resolution on Migration and Development” to the President of the ACP Council of Ministers, President of the EU Council of Ministers, President of the European Commission, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and other relevant bilateral and multilateral partners; 30. Encourages the President of the ACP Council of Ministers to continue to advance the migration interests of the Group vis-à-vis the European Union; and 31. Requests also the presentation of this “ACP Group Brussels Resolution on Migration and Development” at the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development to be held in Manila, The Philippines, in October 2008. Done in Brussels, 30 May 2008 |
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