International migration and development in the Americas

Abstract

This publication contains the presentations, comments, conclusions and final panel review of the Symposium on International Migration in the Americas, held in September 2000 in San José, Costa Rica. The event attracted enthusiastic participation and contributions from government representatives, specialists in the study of international migration, delegates from civil society organizations and experts from international agencies. The book is structured to match the five broad topics into which the sessions were divided: (i) Migratory trends and patterns in the Americas; (ii) Relations between migration and development; (iii) Governance of migration and multilateral diplomacy; (iv) Economic and social importance of migration; and (v) Human rights of migrants. The introduction emphasizes the importance, originality and aims of the meeting, highlighting the characteristics of the papers presented and the wide ranging repercussions of migratory movements in the Americas. It also draws attention to the inclusion of migration issues in the Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas, held in Quebec, Canada, in April 2001. The final panel review reflects the most important aspects of the symposium and concludes that holding such an event heralds major progress in addressing the many issues raised by international migration in the Americas. Looking to the twenty-first century, the meeting drew attention to the fact that international migration is a multi-faceted phenomenon, with potentially positive repercussions for the countries involved, provided dialogue is encouraged and mutual cooperation strengthened.