INTERNATIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE: The Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Migrants’ Remittances and its Implications for Development

DATE: Saturday, 21 March 2009

TIME: 09:00 – 18:00

VENUE: Geldmuseum (Money Museum), Leidseweg 90, Utrecht, The Netherlands

In the search for effective responses to the challenges that the current global economic crisis poses to states and non state actors alike, COS Utrecht, Oxfam Novib, Afroeuro Foundation and ICPMD (International Center for Migration Policy Development) are organising an international conference aimed at exploring its impact on migrants’ remittances.

The conference will bring together policy makers, researchers and practitioners to discuss, share views and experiences with the objective of reaching common understanding of the challenges caused and policy gaps revealed by the crisis.

Through keynotes, panel discussions and workshops the conference aims at raising awareness among the participants on the impact of the crisis on migrants’ remittances and on development, highlighting good practices and coping mechanisms of migrants and explore possible policy options addressing these short-comings.

The conference will also address key questions such as ‘capacity building’ for migrant organisations (to enhance their practical and strategic skills), a matter which has arisen in policy debates as a promising means to unleash migrants´ development potential.

The panel discussions will address the following topics:

1. The Global Economic Crisis and Migrants’ Remittances;
2. Economic Downturn and Migrants’ Coping Mechanisms;
3. Harnessing Migrants’ Remittances for Development: Best Practices and Initiatives. Capacity building as an enabling tool?

Four working groups will bring together a mix of policy makers and practitioners to explore policy recommendations in the light of two key subject matters:

1. Remittances for Development: Stakeholder Engagement

2. Migrant Capacities and Development of Country of Origin

Registration form, media accreditation form and route description are available online at: www.afroeuro.org, www.cosutrecht.nl, www.icmpd.org and www.policy-research.nl.

For more information, contact:

Doris Alfafara

COS Utrecht – Tel: 0031-(0) 6 2352 6962 / 030 2311094 / Email: d.alfafara@cosutrecht.nl

Bruno Fon

Afroeuro Foundation – Tel: 0031-(0)6 1981 8281 / Email: info@afroeuro.org