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Managing Issues Of Migration

Migration takes place because of many reasons, among the two major ones, viz (1) to escape various forms of oppression viz (a) political (b) racial (c) religious, etc (2) the search for a secure law and order environment and (3) and to earn a better livelihood.  Migration mostly happens from country to country, for the same aforesaid reasons, it can also take place within the country. While economic reason dovetails with and encroaches many times over on the others, the fact that business has a central role to play in migration is seldom recognised.  International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with Geneva as its HQs, is the international entity tasked to look after the safety, security and welfare of immigrants, to mitigate their circumstances at origin, during transit and in host countries, to stop the flow and even to revising it if possible. Recognising that business is a principal stakeholder in migration, IOM set up the Business Advisory Board (BAB) in 2005.

BAB is one of the most innovative ideas in the bureaucratic world of international organisations, this model will certainly be emulated as its potential and effectiveness grows.  IOM deserves plaudits for not only conceiving BAB but furthering the process by involving the Board members fully in accomplishing IOM’s objectives.  BABs members were selected with care, the criteria focussing not only on the individuals-to-be but to the entity he (or she) represented.

Inaugurating the bi-annual meeting on Nov 27, 2006 in Geneva, IOM’s Director General Brunson McKinley reviewed IOM activities over the past year, with an overview of the world stage in migration with membership of 120 countries, the opening of a new office in Beijing and swift development of the relationship with Japan over the past 2 years, there is a new awareness among the Gulf  States  of the need to engage on issues of migration/contract workers and to improve their present image.  In the run-up to the UN High Level Dialogue (HLD) on Migration and Development, the linkages and discussions thereof resulted in plans for a “Global Forum on Migration and Development” in Brussels in July 2007.  The institutional architecture on migration as well as the relationship between IOM and UN was very much on the agenda, the 6-member Global Migration Group being expanded into 10 members, with IOM in the chair for the first 6 months.  The views of the new UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as to future relationship between the IOM and the UN is yet to be ascertained. Brunson McKinley mentioned a recent meeting of the Universal Postal Union in Dubai, remittances being a matter of great importance to countries of South Asia, postal services playing a key role in money transfers.  He mentioned his meeting with the Head of the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), setting markers for goods and processes e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility,  previously only lip-service was given to the crucial role of the private sector, this talk needed to be converted into practice.

Among those attending the third BAB meeting were John J Conroy (Baker and McKenzie), Ms Carla Cico (Brasil Telecom), Dr J P Huang (JPI Group), Mr David Arkless (Manpower), Kiyoaki Shimagami and Koshi Noguchi (Toshiba) and Carlos Moreira and Ambassador Daniel Stauffacher (WISeKey), those among the BAB who could not included Claude Babear (AXA), Kais Daly (ETAP), Mazen Darwazeh (Hikma Pharmaceuticals), John Defterios (FBC), Shafik Gabr (Artoc), Roberto Kriete (Grupo TACA), Paul Laudicina (A.T. Kearney),Tadashi Okamura (Toshiba), Salinas Pliego (Grupo Salinas), Jannie Tay (The Hour Glass) and Dr Naresh Trehan (Escort Heart Institute).  The IOM’s representative included the DG Brunson McKinley, Anne-Marie Buschman-Petit, Jill Helke, Michele   Klein   Solomon,  Sophie  Nannomacher and Dominique Jaud.  Many ideas for concrete projects emanated at the Cairo meeting (hosted by my good friend Shafik Gabr) in May 2006 and graced by the Egyptian First Lady, Madam Suzanne Mubarak. The private sector was made acutely aware of how it can benefit from association with IOM.

Presenting the International Migration and Development (IMDI) concept, Michele Klein Solomon said it was still in the development stage, the World Bank offering to set up a trust fund (she further elaborated this at the 92nd IOM Council Meeting the next day at UN HQs in Geneva). There was a need to identifying key resources components viz (1) databases, projections, analysis and best practice and (2) ad hoc projects for country specific projects and pilot projects. The IOM honoured BAB by inviting us to the 92nd Session of the IOM Council on Nov 28, 2006, a presentation being made by BAB member David Arkless on the values of “Partnership in Migration, Engaging Business and Civil Society”.

In Pakistan IOM’s performance has been simply fantastic, even though the media has not really picked it up.  After the Oct 8, 2005 earthquake IOM quickly established many field offices in the affected areas, and under the leadership of Hassan Mostafa, Head of IOM Pakistan, delivered medical help and relief material at an extraordinary pace, focussing on coordinating the IASC Emergency Shelter Cluster (ESC) – a grouping of some 70 aid agencies working with the Government and the army to provide emergency shelter to survivors before the winter.  IOM’s logistics operation comprised 5,241 convoys carrying a total of 20,964 tons of non-food items and shelter materials for 56 international and local aid agencies, including the UN, from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to often remote, high-altitude quake-affected areas, delivering 520, 100 tents, 5 million CGI tin roofing sheets, 6.4 million   blankets   and   2.2  million  tarpaulins/ plastic  sheets to remote mountain communities. They also built 549,872 temporary transitional shelters. IOM’s individual contribution to emergency shelters and winterization of tents included the provision of 23,312 tents, 28,928 shelter kits, 58,392 winterization kits, 178, 867 blankets, 838,883 quilts and 231,424 CGI tin sheets.  IOM’s truly extraordinary help and Hassan Mostafa were duly recognised publicly by the Govt of Pakistan (GOP).

BAB felt that IOM’s tremendous work was not so well known universally and there was a need for “Media Outreach”. The BAB members decided that David Arkless would pursue “National Mobility Index”, and Carlos Moreira would be the point person in pursuing the “Quality Label” proposal, with assistance from Shafik Gabr and myself (3) I was designated to pursue with IOM innovative idea of (a) “Voluntary Advisory Service” for migrants, using retired people (b) “Redemption Vouchers” for migrants waiting to invest in home countries (c) possible support for schooling and (d) universal migrant insurance.  JP Huang and David Arkless volunteered to be co-hosts of the Beijing meeting in March 2007.  IOM was tasked to (1) designate a focal point for contact in IOM (2) including BAB members in regional meetings (3) look at the various ideas put forward for possible pursuit under IMDI and (4) assist BAB members in pursuing the ideas elaborated in meetings. Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Interior and the Govt of Sindh have in a recent meeting hosted by DG Coast Guards and chaired by Brig Mohtaram, Home Secretary Sindh, taken practical steps to curb illegal immigration and human trafficking, a welcome development after years of benign neglect.

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