Partnership for rural development key to maximizing the impact of migration

“By investing in rural development, the international community can harness the positive impact of migration and mitigate migration-related risks,” said Carla Mucavi, Director of the FAO Liaison Office to the UN, at a side event on the margins of the first 2018 International Dialogue on Migration (IDM 2018) on 26 March in New York.

Co-organized by the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) 2017-18 Co-Chairs, the governments of Germany and Morocco, and the Global Migration Group (GMG) co-chairs, FAO and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the event highlighted the crucial nexus between migration, agriculture and rural development, while also discussing best practices in harnessing the development potential of rural migration.

The event featured a panel that included GFMD Moroccan Co-Chair El Habib Nadir, who served as the moderator, and IOM Director General William Lacy Swing, who delivered the opening statement.

“Strong partnerships are key to stabilize affected communities and those at risk in a sustainable way,” stressed Swing.

Participating as a panellist, Mucavi noted that 2018 is a critical year for migration as UN Member States are negotiating the Global Compact on Migration that is expected to be adopted in December. She informed that migration has a strong agricultural and rural dimension, as around 40% of international remittances are sent to rural areas and it is in these rural areas that three out of four of the world’s poor and hungry live.

Daniela Morari, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, noted that from 2014 to 2017 between 71 and 74 per cent of immigrants in Moldova came from rural areas and that remittances played an important role in the country’s growth. She also stressed that in the last five years Moldova recognized the important connection between rural development, climate change and migration and included sectorial ministries in the coordination of migration issues at the national level.

José Luis Jàcome, Vice Minister of Human Mobility of Ecuador, reminded participants that migration is part of human nature and therefore a permanent phenomenon. He stressed the importance of reflecting upon what is pushing young people to migrate from rural to urban areas. He also noted the importance of working with local governments and generating public policies that work for everyone at the local level, as public policies need to take into account the situation in rural areas and reflect the aspirations of their inhabitants.

Ndioro Ndiaye, Minister-Counselor to the Presidency of the Republic of Senegal and President of the Alliance for Migration, Leadership and Development, stressed the importance of developing a decentralized system and promoting policies that give power and leadership to grassroots. She stressed the importance of further integrating farm workers and civil society organizations into this decentralization process. She also underlined the need for modernization in the agricultural sector and the importance of strengthening the resilience of the rural populations, especially women.

In the closing remarks, Ambassador Jurgen Schulz reiterated on behalf of the GFMD German Co-Chair that the complexity of the nexus between rural development, migration and climate change, the need to pursue a holistic approach and the importance of partnerships and of sharing experiences and practical tools.

The event contributed valuable discussions alongside the IDM, which serves as IOM’s principal forum for migration policy dialogue and was convened on the theme, “Inclusive and innovative partnerships for effective global governance of migration.”