18/11/14
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2 October 2013
On 3-4 October, the UN High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development convenes in New York, bringing together policy makers and practitioners from around the world. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström, will represent the EU at the meeting. She will give a keynote speech on how global efforts in this field can be better suited to new realities, with ever-growing international mobility.
"We have to redefine our approach to migration and mobility in order to reap all the benefits it can bring to our economies and societies. Unleashing the full potential of migration for economic development is one of the great challenges for the 21st century. We have to promote concrete measures which make a meaningful contribution to the lives of migrants and protect their rights", Malmström said.
New UN data show that the number of international migrants has grown from 175 million in 2000 to 232 million today, with Asia accounting for much of the increase. The total is projected to reach 400 million by 2040. Europe remains the most popular destination region with 72 million international migrants in 2013. Within Europe, Germany and France hosts the largest immigrant communities.
The High-Level Dialogue should aim to set up tangible targets, for instance to uphold the human rights of migrants, regardless of the migrants' legal status. Also, it should aim to to strengthen regional cooperation, including by engaging with civil society, and to foster international and regional labour mobility.
Read about the topics for discussion and the EU approach here. More info about the conference is available at the U.N. website. Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted a Communication 
which provides the basis for a common position of the EU at the High-level Dialogue.
