Arroyo, UN Sec-Gen To Address Migration Meet Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo and United Nations secretary general Ban Ki- Moon will address the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development at the Philippine International Convention Center on Wednesday.

A Malacañang statement said President Arroyo will keynote the GFMD, where representatives from 162 countries are discussing issues on migration and development.

The theme of the international gathering is "Protecting and Empowering Migrants for Development."

The President is expected to speak on the Philippines' efforts to promote the rights and interests of some eight million Filipino overseas workers and their families.

The Palace said the Philippines was the unanimous choice of the 125 member states of the International Office of Migration (IOM) and 16 states holding observer status as the venue of the GFMD II.

Belgium hosted the first GFMD in July last year.

For his part, Moon will open Wednesday's forum with a speech while vice president Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr will give the closing remarks on Thursday.

The forum's Civil Society Days, which was attended by more than 200 participants from international civil society organizations, discussed a wide range of topics on migration and development.

Among the issues tackled include protecting the rights of migrants; empowering migrants to contribute to development; fostering more opportunities for legal migrations; managing migration and minimizing the negative impacts of irregular migration; strengthening data and research tools on migration and development; policy and institutional coherence; and regional consultative process at the interface of migration and development.

Recommendations include the expansion of civil society's involvement from one to two days and the holding of a joint interface session between governments and non-government organizations in the afternoon of the second day.

Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corp. chair and CEO, opened the forum's Civil Society Days which were held until Tuesday, with the assistance of GFMD's international advisory body and pool of experts and a Philippine organizing committee composed of business, NGO and religious leaders. - GMANews.TV

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