NETHERLANDS/UNGA: HLD ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001675 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM/PIM (M. RAMGOOLIE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA EAID PREF SMIG UNGA NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/UNGA: HLD ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT REF: STATE 122513 ¶1. (U) Poloff delivered reftel demarche July 31 to MFA UN and IFIs Senior Policy Officers Vasco Rodrigues and Andrea Maessen-Nederlof. Also present was MFA Migration and Alien Affairs Policy Advisor Marieke van Renssen. ¶2. (U) The Dutch delegation will likely include Development Minister van Ardenne (who will travel on to the Singapore World Bank meeting after the first day); Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Joris Demmink; and MFA Director of Director General for Regional Policy and Consular Affairs, Renee Jones-Bos. ¶3. (SBU) The Dutch are supportive of the idea of a sustained forum. Rodrigues noted that our point on the continuing costs of such a forum were valid - and not something they had previously considered. Renssen added that a sustained forum need not necessarily meet often. Poloff noted that UN reform remained our primary concern and that adding yet another UN forum - particularly in light of ongoing difficulties with management reform and the new HRC - was not advisable. In the broad picture, however, the Dutch seemed primarily interested in avoiding a North-South confrontation. ¶4. (SBU) Text of Dutch non-paper, without edits: "Non-paper by the Netherlands on a possible follow-up to the UN High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. Co-chair of the Ad Hoc Group of States on Migration. July 27, 2006. Migration is a worldwide phenomenon with both positive and negative aspects which should be managed and discussed in an open and constructive dialogue between states of origin, transit and destination. For the Netherlands the key words in this regard are policy coherence, national and international coordination, mutual understanding and dialogue between experts. The usual North-South contradiction should be avoided and in stead focus on regognition of differences and interests, building mutual confidence and finding common solutions. Nothwithstanding the many existing migration-related processes around the world, consultative as well as more formal, regional and increasingly interegional, at present there is no place or opportunity for states to discuss at the global level and on a regular basis international migration and dwevelopment policies and practices including linkages with other policy areas. In the view of the Netherlands the present dialogue between states in the High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development should not be the end of a process, but should be continued and enhanced. However, there is no need to create a new institution or organisation. What is needed is an open-ended, informal, non-binding, consultative place for dialogue and discussion among governments. Such a state-owned forum could be supported by input from the existing Global Migration Group and other relevant stakeholders from in- and outside the UN, civil society, NGO's, migrant organisations and the corporate sector. Achievements from regional processes could also be useful contributions. The Netherlands wishes to emphasize that governments should use their influence in the governing bodies of the organisations that form the GMG to make their results more coherent. The HLD would suggest to the SG UN to ask the GMG to organise the first post-HLD ministerial forum, adequately prepeared by senior officials and government experts from all relevant ministries. Subjects to discuss could include capacity building of migration management, human rights and international protection of refugees, avoiding brain drain, advance circular migration, combat human trafficking and smuggling, with particular attention to women and children, involvement of diasporas, combat irregular immigration and illegal work, stimulating (voluntary) return and integration of legal migrants. Also more consideration should be given on how migration issues can be integrated into strategic programmes, such as PRSPs, and how countries can support each others priorities in this respect." THE HAGUE 00001675 002 OF 002 End non paper-text. BLAKEMAN