Introduction

In the run-up to the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development which took place in September 2006 in New York, the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium and the International Organization for Migration co-organized, with the support of the European Commission and the World Bank, a Conference on Migration and Development.

The event took place on 15 and 16 March 2006 and was hosted in the premises of the Palais d’Egmont, a state-owned nineteenth century style venue located at the heart of Brussels.

Bringing together more than 400 participants, including national delegations from migrant-receiving countries in Europe and countries of origin in Africa, Asia and Latin America, high ranking officials from European institutions and other international organizations, as well as representatives from Diaspora associations, think tanks and civil society organizations, this conference proved to be a successful and ground-breaking event, giving a unique opportunity for intensive exchanges of practices and experiences in the field of migration and development worldwide.  

The conference aimed at discussing key policy questions with regard to migration and development, particularly:

• The interrelationship between migration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• Migration policies and development – How to achieve policy coherence and close cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination?
• Migrant communities and development – How to facilitate the migrants’ positive contribution to development?

The final conclusions of the Conference were delivered during the closing session in the presence of H.M. King Albert II, King of the Belgians. In the aftermath of the conference, these conclusions were adopted by the Belgian Government and partner institutions as key contribution to the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development.