City meet agrees to put migration on post-MDG agenda

Experts from 58 countries have agreed to work together to press putting the issue of migration and development in place in the post-millennium development goals (MDGs) agenda.
Eighty-eight delegations of government agencies from developed and developing countries and 27 representatives of civil society and international organisations came to the consensus after a two-day meeting that concluded at a city hotel on Tuesday.
The Global Experts Meeting also recommended to create space for further debate on the issues like migration rights, standard-setting for work, skill, job security, livelihood, cost of remittance, migration costs etc.,  for creating a space for strong lobbying for the demand.
Foreign Secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque disclosed this while briefing journalists after the end of the meeting. Switzerland Ambassador Eduard Gnesa and Expatriate Welfare Secretary Shakawat Hossain also spoke.
Switzerland and Bangladesh have been jointly working on migration and development to place it in the post-2015 (MDGs) agenda. The Dhaka meeting was jointly organised by foreign, and expatriate welfare and employment ministries in collaboration with Switzerland.
The Expatriate Welfare Secretary said despite the fact that migration has many challenging issues like ensuring safety and security, all the representatives have agreed on the point that it is an integral component of development.
He said there were challenges for both the countries of origin and destination, but they have come to the consensus to create a common space so that migration is governed rightly.
He said the recommendation that came from the meeting would be further discussed and shaped up.
"The meeting has provided a critical watch and voice so that migration gets space as a development phenomenon in the sustainable development goal (SDG)," he added.
The Swiss Ambassador termed the meeting successful for bringing the issues like health, education, employment, decent work, economic contribution and means of implementation with migration.
He said as the world becomes a village, it has become necessary to work together for ensuring better connectivity between development and migration in the coming years.
The Expatriate Welfare Secretary said the global leaders and experts have been working over the last one and a half years for fixing the target on migration and development focusing on 16 areas.