Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the OSCE Chairmanship, I am happy to welcome you all to Athens for this important meeting – the second and concluding part of the 17th Economic and Environmental Forum on “Migration management and its linkages with economic, social and environmental policies to the benefit of stability and security in the OSCE region”.
The primary goal of the Greek Chairmanship throughout 2009 is to best use the OSCE and its mechanisms in order to address the most important challenges of its participating States. Above all we aim to do so in a way that promotes dialogue and co-operation in the OSCE region.
This is exactly what we are working towards with respect to the Second Dimension. Placed between the other two pillars of the OSCE, we believe that the Economic and Environmental Dimension is a key factor of balance. Its clear mandate, to monitor the economic and environmental developments and address related challenges which could potentially jeopardise stability and security in the OSCE region, is of primary importance.
With this in mind, we deemed it necessary to address migration and to provide the participating States with the possibility to express their views and proposals on issues of common interest through the political platform of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum. Here, I would like to thank the participating States for their support and contribution to the Forum process.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is not a coincidence that this thematic area is at the forefront of our political agenda. We have all witnessed the increasing trends of migration as an effect of globalization. Climate change also has a great impact on migration flows. As a matter of fact the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that some 150 million people will have migrated by 2050, due to climate change. Furthermore, the global economic crisis tends to aggravate the problem. Its multifaceted character calls for a more focused and coordinated response from the international community. Today, migration issues are being discussed at the national, regional, and international levels. As all actors eventually face common challenges, we ought to examine together the possibilities for policy responses.
Even though Greece has a special interest in migration, let me also point outthat Greece has a relatively long tradition of migratory flows due to its geographical location. As a result we have been actively involved in the ongoing dialogue, in the context of various partnerships and initiatives undertaken under the auspices of the EU as well as in the international field.
This is why we have also brought up the theme in this context. We aspire to contribute to the multilateral efforts and to develop a more comprehensive approach by exploring ways of engaging all relevant stakeholders in a substantial dialogue.
The preparatory process to the 17th Economic and Environmental Forum has been a long and demanding one. We consulted widely when selecting the theme, encompassing all concerns of the participating States in order to reach consensus – consensus on the subject as such, as well as on how to best develop the discussions and identify the implications at every level of governance.
Believing in the principle of continuity and keeping in mind the political sensitivities linked to the various aspects of the theme, our intention is to encourage a closer examination of the new trends and developments in the area of migration since 2005, while remaining focused on its security aspect.
When migration was last discussed under the Slovenian Chairmanship, the objectives were, among others, to promote improved migration management and to examine links with other policy areas, such as development, economic, social and environmental policies. At the same time, the aim was to define the roles of different stakeholders as well as to explore the various aspects of its cross dimensional character.
Talking about cross dimensionality, it is nothing new to say that migration, when treated properly, can contribute to the growth and development of the countries of origin, transit and destination. However, we have to keep in mind that migrants are human beings and societies have the moral responsibility to develop the necessary safety nets in order to protect and safeguard their human rights and dignity.
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The preparatory process to the 17th Economic and Environmental Forum was also rewarding as it generated many useful ideas. Let me point out the key issues identified throughout the process so far that are of particular relevance for the OSCE in the migration field :
·The need to further increase co-operation on migration issues, to develop efficient partnerships between destination, transit and origin countries, both bilaterally as well as at the regional and international levels.
·The need to put in place comprehensive, effective and coherent policy frameworks, as well as the importance of strengthening migration policy implementation and of enhancing capacity-building efforts in this regard.
·The usefulness of adopting a balanced approach by promoting legal migration channels, while at the same time increasing efforts to reduce illegal migration and other criminal activities.
·The fundamental issue of the protection of the human rights of migrant workers and their integration into host societies.
·The importance for all the countries concerned, including countries of origin, transit and destination, of strengthening the positive contributions of migration to the socio-economic development.
·The need to further tackle the complex inter-dependencies between migration and environmental factors.
To conclude, I would like to express my satisfaction at the outcome of the discussions generated so far, during the two preparatory Conferences as well as the 1st part of the Forum in Vienna. We have all witnessed a substantial and thorough exchange of views, which is in itselfa positive outcome.
Judging from the positive feedback so far, I am convinced that this last part of the Forum will serve its purpose. That is, to agree to a set of concrete recommendations which will enable us to pave the way to further strengthening the dialogue and follow up initiatives in the area of migration.
Last but not least, I would like to reiterate that as we are going through an unprecedented economic crisis, it is of the utmost importance, especially as far as the more advanced countries are concerned, not to lose sight – because of the dire economic situation – of the need to go on with their medium- or long-term policies facing problems on a global scale. Instead of adapting an introspective and fearful reaction, it is all the more necessary to persevere with those policies intended to deal with the ever growing problems, such as those related to the environment or to migration.
I wish you all a very constructive continuation of the meeting.
Thank you.