• Denying aid on the basis of EU migration objectives is wrong

    –-> extrait du communiqué de presse de CONCORD:

    The Development Committee of the European Parliament has been working on the report “Improving development effectiveness and efficiency of aid” since January 2020. However, shortly before the plenary vote on Wednesday, #Tomas_Tobé of the EPP group, suddenly added an amendment to allow the EU to refuse to give aid to partner countries that don’t comply with EU migration requirements.

    https://concordeurope.org/2020/11/27/denying-aid-on-the-basis-of-eu-migration-objectives-is-wrong

    –---

    Le rapport du Parlement européen (novembre 2020):

    REPORT on improving development effectiveness and the efficiency of aid (2019/2184(INI))

    E. whereas aid effectiveness depends on the way the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is implemented; whereas more efforts are still needed to comply with PCD principles, especially in the field of EU migration, trade, climate and agriculture policies;
    3. Stresses that the EU should take the lead in using the principles of aid effectiveness and aid efficiency, in order to secure real impact and the achievement of the SDGs, while leaving no-one behind, in its partner countries; stresses, in this regard, the impact that EU use of development aid and FDI could have on tackling the root causes of migration and forced displacement;
    7. Calls on the EU to engage directly with and to build inclusive sustainable partnerships with countries of origin and transit of migration, based on the specific needs of each country and the individual circumstances of migrants;
    62. Notes with grave concern that the EU and Member States are currently attaching conditions to aid related to cooperation by developing countries on migration and border control efforts, which is clearly a donor concern in contradiction with key internationally agreed development effectiveness principles; recalls that aid must keep its purposes of eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, respecting and supporting human rights and meeting humanitarian needs, and must never be conditional on migration control;
    63. Reiterates that making aid allocation conditional on cooperation with the EU on migration or security issues is not compatible with agreed development effectiveness principles;

    EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

    As agreed in the #European_Consensus_on_Development, the #EU is committed to support the implementation of the #Sustainable_Development_Goals in our development partner countries by 2030. With this report, your rapporteur would like to stress the urgency that all EU development actors strategically use the existing tools on aid effectiveness and efficiency.

    Business is not as usual. The world is becoming more complex. Geopolitical rivalry for influence and resources as well as internal conflicts are escalating. The impact of climate change affects the most vulnerable. The world’s population is growing faster than gross national income, which increases the number of people living in poverty and unemployment. As of 2030, 30 million young Africans are expected to enter the job market per year. These challenges point at the urgency for development cooperation to have a real impact and contribute to peaceful sustainable development with livelihood security and opportunities.

    Despite good intentions, EU institutions and Member States are still mainly guided by their institutional or national goals and interests. By coordinating our efforts in a comprehensive manner and by using the aid effectiveness and efficiency tools we have at our disposal our financial commitment can have a strong impact and enable our partner countries to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

    The EU, as the world’s biggest donor, as well as the strongest international actor promoting democracy and human rights, should take the lead. We need to implement the policy objectives in the EU Consensus on Development in a more strategic and targeted manner in each partner country, reinforcing and complementing the EU foreign policy goals and values. The commitments and principles on aid effectiveness and efficiency as well as international commitments towards financing needs are in place. The Union has a powerful toolbox of instruments and aid modalities.

    There are plenty of opportunities for the EU to move forward in a more comprehensive and coordinated manner:

    First, by using the ongoing programming exercise linked to NDICI as an opportunity to reinforce coordination. Joint programming needs to go hand in hand with joint implementation: the EU should collectively set strategic priorities and identify investment needs/gaps in the pre-programming phase and subsequently look at ways to optimise the range of modalities in the EU institutions’ toolbox, including grants, budget support and EIB loans, as well as financing from EU Member States.

    Second, continue to support sectors where projects have been successful and there is a high potential for future sustainability. Use a catalyst approach: choose sectors where a partner country has incentives to continue a project in the absence of funding.

    Third, using lessons learned from a common EU knowledge base in a strategic and results-oriented manner when defining prioritised sectors in a country.

    Fourth, review assessments of successful and failed projects where the possibilities for sustainability are high. For example, choose sectors that to date have been received budget support and where investment needs can be addressed through a combination of EIB loans/Member State financial institutions and expertise.

    Fifth, using EU and Member State headquarters/delegations’ extensive knowledge of successful and unsuccessful aid modalities in certain sectors on the ground. Continue to tailor EU aid modalities to the local context reflecting the needs and capacity in the country.

    Sixth, use the aid effectiveness and efficiency tools with the aim of improving transparency with our partner countries.

    We do not need to reinvent the wheel. Given the magnitude of the funding gap and limited progress towards achieving the SDGs, it is time to be strategic and take full advantage of the combined financial weight and knowledge of all EU institutions and EU Member States - and to use the unique aid effectiveness and efficiency tools at our disposal - to achieve real impact and progress.

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2020-0212_EN.html

    –—

    L’#amendement de Tomas Tobé (modification de l’article 25.):
    25.Reiterates that in order for the EU’s development aid to contribute to long-term sustainable development and becompatible with agreed development effectiveness principles, aid allocation should be based on and promote the EU’s core values of the rule of law, human rights and democracy, and be aligned with its policy objectives, especially in relation to climate, trade, security and migration issues;

    Article dans le rapport:
    25.Reiterates that making aid allocation conditional on cooperation with the EU on migration issues is notcompatible with agreed development effectiveness principles;

    https://concordeurope.org/2020/11/27/denying-aid-on-the-basis-of-eu-migration-objectives-is-wrong
    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2019-0175-AM-001-002_EN.pdf

    –—

    Texte amendé
    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2020-0323_EN.html
    –-> Texte adopté le 25.11.2020 par le parlement européen avec 331 votes pour 294 contre et 72 abstentions.

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201120IPR92142/parliament-calls-for-better-use-of-the-eu-development-aid

    –-

    La chronologie de ce texte:

    On 29 October, the Committee on Development adopted an own-initiative report on “improving development effectiveness and efficiency of aid” presented by the Committee Chair, Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden). The vote was 23 in favour, 1 against and 0 abstentions: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2020-0323_EN.html.

    According to the report, improving effectiveness and efficiency in development cooperation is vital to help partner countries to reach the Sustainable Development Goals and to realise the UN 2030 Agenda. Facing enormous development setbacks, limited resources and increasing needs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the report by the Development Committee calls for a new impetus to scale-up the effectiveness of European development assistance through better alignment and coordination with EU Member States, with other agencies, donors and with the priorities of aid recipient countries.

    On 25 November, the report was adopted by the plenary (331 in favour, 294 against, 72 abstentions): https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201120IPR92142/parliament-calls-for-better-use-of-the-eu-development-aid

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/improving-development-effectiveness-and-/product-details/20200921CDT04141

    #SDGs #développement #pauvreté #chômage #coopération_au_développement #aide_au_développement #UE #Union_européenne #NDICI #Rapport_Tobé #conditionnalité_de_l'aide_au_développement #migrations #frontières #contrôles_frontaliers #root_causes #causes_profondes

    ping @_kg_ @karine4 @isskein @rhoumour

    –—

    Ajouté dans la métaliste autour du lien développement et migrations:
    https://seenthis.net/messages/733358#message768701

    • Le #Parlement_européen vote pour conditionner son aide au développement au contrôle des migrations

      Le Parlement européen a adopté hier un rapport sur “l’#amélioration de l’#efficacité et de l’#efficience de l’aide au développement”, qui soutient la conditionnalité de l’aide au développement au contrôle des migrations.

      Cette position était soutenue par le gouvernement français dans une note adressée aux eurodéputés français.

      Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, directrice France de ONE, réagit : « Le Parlement européen a décidé de modifier soudainement son approche et de se mettre de surcroit en porte-à-faux du #traité_européen qui définit l’objectif et les valeurs de l’aide au développement européenne. Cela pourrait encore retarder les négociations autour de ce budget, et donc repousser sa mise en œuvre, en pleine urgence sanitaire et économique. »

      « Les études montrent justement que lier l’aide au développement aux #retours et #réadmissions des ressortissants étrangers dans leurs pays d’origine ne fonctionne pas, et peut même avoir des effets contre-productifs. L’UE doit tirer les leçons de ses erreurs passées en alignant sa politique migratoire sur les besoins de ses partenaires, pas sur des priorités politiques à court terme. »

      « On prévoit que 100 millions de personnes supplémentaires tomberont dans l’extrême pauvreté à cause de la pandémie, et que fait le Parlement européen ? Il tourne le dos aux populations les plus fragiles, qui souffriraient directement de cette décision. L’aide au développement doit, sans concessions, se concentrer sur des solutions pour lutter contre l’extrême #pauvreté, renforcer les systèmes de santé et créer des emplois décents. »

      https://www.one.org/fr/press/alerte-le-parlement-europeen-vote-pour-conditionner-son-aide-au-developpement-a

  • #EU #Development #Cooperation with #Sub-Saharan #Africa 2013-2018: Policies, funding, results

    How have EU overall development policies and the EU’s overall policies vis-à-vis Sub-Saharan Africa in particular evolved in the period 2013-2018 and what explains the developments that have taken place?2. How has EU development spending in Sub-Saharan Africa developed in the period 2013-2018 and what explains these developments?3.What is known of the results accomplished by EU development aid in Sub-Saharan Africa and what explains these accomplishments?

    This study analyses these questions on the basis of a comprehensive desk review of key EU policy documents, data on EU development cooperation as well as available evaluation material of the EU institutionson EU external assistance. While broad in coverage, the study pays particular attention to EU policies and development spending in specific areas that are priority themes for the Dutch government as communicated to the parliament.

    Authors: Alexei Jones, Niels Keijzer, Ina Friesen and Pauline Veron, study for the evaluation department (IOB) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, May 2020

    = https://ecdpm.org/publications/eu-development-cooperation-sub-saharan-africa-2013-2018-policies-funding-resu

  • #Danakali done first phase of Eritrea potash project

    Australia’s Danakali (ASX, LON:DNK) has finished the first phase of development of its world-class Colluli potash project in Eritrea, Africa, which takes the company a step closer to the construction phase and then onto production in 2022.

    The Perth-based miner is now moving to Phase 2, which includes finalizing geotechnical work, buying critical equipment such as a reverse osmosis plant and looking into optimization opportunities.

    Colluli, a 50:50 joint venture between Danakali and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO), has been called “a game changer” for Eritrea’s economy, as is expected to become one of the world’s most significant and lowest-cost sources of sulphate of potash (SOP), a premium grade fertilizer.

    “The government will benefit from the longer-term development of the project, and the expected significant boost to royalties, taxation and exports, and from jobs and skills and economic development of the region,” chief executive Niels Wage told MINING.COM last year.

    The development of the Colluli potash projects coincides with the move towards diplomatic relations between the once feuding countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which officially declared peace in July 2018.
    Welcome boost

    A United Nations report published last year suggested that Colluli could significantly boost the economy of Eritrea, a country that, until 2018, was on the UN’s sanctions list.

    The document estimated that Colluli would contribute 3% of the country’s GDP by 2021 and 50% of the nation’s exports by 2030, while providing 10,000 direct and indirect local jobs.

    The report also identified how the mine could help Eritrea advance its sustainable development agenda, which are 13 priority Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include: No poverty, zero hunger, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, sustainable economic growth and decent work, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions and partnerships for the SDGs.

    In the initial phase of operation, Wage said, Colluli would produce more than 472,000 tonnes a year of Sulphate of Potash. Annual output could rise to almost 944,000 tonnes if Danakali decides to go ahead with a second phase of development, as the project has a possible 200-year plus mine-life.

    The asset has the potential to produce other fertilizer products, such as Sulphate of Potash Magnesium (SOP-M), muriate of potash (MOP) and gypsum, along with rock salt. There is also potential for kieserite and mag chloride to be commercialized with minimal further processing required.

    https://www.mining.com/danakalis-first-phase-of-eritrean-potash-project-done
    #extractivisme #Erythrée #mines #Colluli_potash_project #Eritrean_National_Mining_Corporation (#ENAMCO) #Sulfate #fertilisants #industrie_agro-alimentaire #Sulfate_de_potassium

    La belle rhétorique du #développement... (sic), voire des #SDGs (#sustainable_development_goals)

    –-> ATTENTION : site de propagande commerciale... donc pas du tout mais pas du tout critique vis-à-vis de ce projet...

    ping @daphne @albertocampiphoto @reka

  • Does sustainable development have an elephant in the room ?

    The inherently unequal relationship between the developed and developing world is hindering sustainable development.

    This week, the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has begun deliberating on its resolutions. Sustainable development is high on the agenda. This year UNGA has had a record number of high-level meetings - most of them either on or related to the topic.

    At the centre of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are the many disparities between the developed and developing world, including the unequal consumption and use of natural resources; the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation; economic sovereignty and opportunities; and the unequal power in international organisations and decision-making.

    Still, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals, disparities between the developed and developing world continue to grow.

    CO2 emissions are on a trajectory towards disastrous tipping points and global material consumption is projected to more than double by 2060. In the last 20 years, climate-related disasters have led to a 150 percent increase in economic losses and claimed an estimated 1.3 million lives, the great majority of them in the developing world. Climate change-driven conflicts and migration are on the rise, too.

    The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is clear that moving towards sustainability requires the broadest possible international cooperation, an ethic of global citizenship and shared responsibility. Crucially, this includes decreasing international disparities between developed and developing countries, such as in international decision-making, control and use of natural resources and unsustainable patterns of consumption and production.

    However, there is an elephant in the room of sustainable development. Namely, the very relationship between the developed and developing world of domination and subordination and its historical roots in colonialism.

    Today’s unsustainability is shaped by a history that includes the control and use of natural resources and cheap labour for the benefit and consumption of European and European colonial-settler states. It is a history where a bottom line of maximising profit and economic growth included colonisation of foreign lands and peoples, a transformation of landscapes and societies across the world, enslavement, genocides, wars and systemic racial discrimination.

    Over centuries, an international order was established dominated by European colonial and colonial-settler states populated by a majority of European descendants. That is to say, largely today’s developed world.

    Although the inherently unequal relationship between the developed and developing world and its colonial history is not addressed by the Sustainable Development Goals - it is no secret to the UN.

    For example, according to the most comprehensive universal human rights instrument against racial discrimination - the declaration and programme of action of the 2001 Third World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa - the effects and persistence of colonial structures and practices are among the factors contributing to lasting social and economic inequalities in many parts of the world today.

    During the early 1970s, developing nations - many of them recently independent - passed resolutions in the UNGA to establish a new international economic order. They demanded self determination over their economy and natural resources as well as equity in determining the laws, rules and regulations of the global economy.

    The explicit objective was to address international inequities in the wake of European colonialism. Developed countries with the power to actualise such a new international economic order were not interested and nothing much became of it.

    Nonetheless, the call for a new international economic order resonated in the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development. Among other things, it calls on states to eliminate the massive violations of human rights resulting from colonialism, neo-colonialism, all forms of racism and racial discrimination.

    In recent years, there has again been a growing call by developing countries in the UNGA for a new equitable and democratic international economic order. But this time too, developing countries with the power to make that call a reality have opposed it.

    Last year a resolution was passed in the UNGA towards a new international economic order. It emphasises that development within countries needs to be supported by a favourable international economic order. Among other things, it calls for increased coordination of international economic policy in order to avoid it having a particularly negative impact on developing countries.

    An overwhelming majority of 133 of the 193 UN member states voted for the resolution. All developed countries voted against it.

    Another resolution that was passed in the UNGA last year promoted a democratic and equitable international order. It, too, calls for an international economic order based on equal participation in the decision-making process, interdependence and solidarity, in addition to transparent, democratic and accountable international institutions with full and equal participation.

    One-hundred-and-thirty-one of the 193 members of the UNGA voted for the resolution. All developed countries voted against it.

    It is well known by the UN that much of the racial discrimination in European countries and European settler colonies such as the US, Colombia and South Africa reflect colonial history. Across the Americas, the most racially discriminated against are people of colour and among them especially indigenous people and people of African descent. In the European Union too, people of colour are especially discriminated against, not least people of African descent.

    Since little more than a decade ago, there is a UN Permanent Forum, Declaration and Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples. As a result of the ongoing UN International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024, last year the General Assembly passed a resolution to establish a UN Permanent Forum and Declaration for people of African descent.

    One-hundred-and-twenty member states voted in favour of the resolution. Only 11 states voted against it. Among them were the US, the UK and France. All developed countries either voted against or abstained from voting on the resolution.

    This year the UN Special Rapporteur on Racism, Tendayi Achiume, has submitted a report to the General Assembly on the human rights obligations of member states in relation to reparations for racial discrimination rooted in enslavement and colonialism. It is the first UN report on the topic. According to it, reparations for enslavement and colonialism include not only justice and accountability for historic wrongs, but also the eradication of persisting structures of racial inequality, subordination and discrimination that were built during enslavement and colonialism.

    It is a view of reparations that includes the pursuit of a just and equitable international order.

    This year the UNGA will also deliberate on a resolution for how to organise the new permanent Forum for People of African Descent.

    When will the developed world recognise and address the elephant in the room? Maybe when there is a real shift towards sustainable development.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/sustainable-development-elephant-room-191009072428736.html
    #développement_durable #colonialisme #subordination #domination #inégalités #SDGs #développement #ressources_naturelles #extractivisme #Nord-Sud #2030_Agenda_for_Sustainable_Development
    #politics_of_development #responsabiité #éthique #coopération_internationale #production #consommation #mondialisation #globalisation #géographie_politique #colonisation #accaparement_des_terres #terres #discrimination_raciale #génocide #esclavage_moderne #continuum_colonial #colonialisme_européen #ordre_économique #droits_humains #racisme #néo-colonialisme #économie #participation #solidarité #interdépendance

    ping @mobileborders @reka @cede @karine4

    ping @reka

  • Development and migration : POLICIES AND OUTCOMES IN THE NETHERLANDS


    https://www.cordaid.org/nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Development-and-Migration-2019.pdf

    #Pays-Bas #développement #migrations #réfugiés #asile #aide_au_développement #rapport #migrations #économie #travail #welfare #remittances #discriminations #welfare_state #marginalisation #réfugiés #asile #brain-drain #fuite_de_cerveaux #armes #commerce_d'armes #SDG #SDGs

    Particularité de ce rapport : il regarde la contribution des migrations à la fois au développement des pays d’origine des migrants résidents aux Pays-Bas et au développement des Pays-Bas par la présence de migrants...

    –—

    ajouté à la métaliste sur le lien entre #économie (et surtout l’#Etat_providence) et la #migration... des arguments pour détruire l’#idée_reçue : « Les migrants profitent (voire : viennent POUR profiter) du système social des pays européens »... :

    https://seenthis.net/messages/971875

    ping @_kg_ @karine4

    • La migration contribue au développement

      Tant pour le développement de la #Belgique que celui du pays d’origine des migrants, la migration a des effets positifs. Telle est la leçon principale du dernier rapport de Caritas International, réalisé en partenariat avec deux chercheurs universitaires. Rien que pour vous, nous en avons extrait ses conclusions principales et recommandations politiques.

      Encore un rapport ? Oui ! Car nous pensons que le débat et le discours public belge en matière de migration et de développement doit être plus équilibré et fondé sur des données fiables. Par cette publication, nous souhaitons reconnaître, et faire connaître, la contribution vitale des migrants au développement et au bien-être de nos sociétés.

      Une contribution diversifiée

      La littérature s’accorde : la migration contribue au développement économique tant du pays de résidence des migrants que de celui d’origine. Les effets principaux sont les suivants :

      Plus de biens et services disponibles sur le marché belge ;
      Une source importante de main d’œuvre – un apport d’autant plus important pour les secteurs en pénurie et dans un contexte de vieillissement de la population ;
      Des effets positifs pour les finances publiques – 0,8% du PIB belge ;
      Plus d’échanges bilatéraux entre la Belgique et les pays d’origine ;
      Des transferts de fonds pour les pays d’origine – quelque 4,16 milliards d’euros ont été transférés par des migrants depuis la Belgique en 2017.

      La contribution sociale des migrants est également fondamentale, puisque la migration permet aux idées de circuler. Ainsi par exemple, de nombreux transferts financiers servent à financer l’éducation – et particulièrement celle des filles – dans les pays d’origine. La migration promeut ainsi l’égalité des genres.

      Au niveau politique, la migration a une influence profonde sur la sphère politique belge, comme en témoigne la présence d’immigrés d’origine italienne, mais également l’influence grandissante d’immigrés de première génération et de leurs descendants d’origine turque, marocaine et congolaise.

      La migration participe enfin à façonner l’identité culturelle de la Belgique. De multiples artistes et sportifs aux horizons divers – tels que le chanteur Stromae ou certains joueurs des Diables Rouges pour ne citer qu’eux – exercent une influence durable sur la scène publique belge.
      Une contribution malgré les obstacles

      Les résultats du rapport illustrent l’urgence de répondre aux obstacles conséquents qui empêchent la migration – et les migrants eux-mêmes – de contribuer pleinement au développement de la Belgique.

      Le premier obstacle renvoie à l’absence de voies légales et sûres tant pour les migrants désirant travailler, étudier ou vivre en famille que pour les personnes qui pourraient bénéficier d’un statut (protection subsidiaire ou réfugié). Cela explique pourquoi certaines personnes n’ont d’autre choix que d’emprunter des routes informelles, qui coûtent la vie à certains et affectent les autres. « Ce n’est qu’en respectant la dignité des personnes migrantes – durant tout leur parcours migratoire – qu’elles pourront s’épanouir et faire partie intégrante de la société » explique Elise Kervyn, chargée de plaidoyer.

      Certains migrants ne voient également pas leurs besoins fondamentaux remplis. En raison de certaines politiques et pratiques, il est plus difficile pour les migrants que les natifs de vivre en famille, d’avoir un logement de qualité et abordable et un travail où leurs droits sont respectés autant que ceux des natifs. Les causes sont diverses : obstacles administratifs, absence de réseaux, discriminations sur base ethnique, etc.
      Une ligne de conduite à adopter

      Avant que la migration ne voie son potentiel valorisé, les migrants doivent jouir de conditions de vie dignes. Cette nécessité ne répond pas uniquement à un impératif d’ordre moral. Les personnes contraintes de lutter quotidiennement pour satisfaire leurs besoins fondamentaux ne peuvent guère, au-delà, valoriser leurs compétences et connaissances et en faire bénéficier la société. Nos recommandations répondent à ces préoccupations majeures et à l’objectif de construire une société plus juste et plus solidaire. En voici les principales :

      Élargir les voies d’entrée sûres et légales
      Garantir un accueil de qualité aux demandeurs et bénéficiaires de protection internationale
      Protéger les droits fondamentaux de tous les migrants
      Concevoir et mettre en œuvre des politiques visant une meilleure insertion des migrants
      Lutter contre la discrimination et la xénophobie
      Soutenir la contribution des migrants envers les pays d’origine

      Une place pour toutes et tous

      Ce rapport insiste donc sur les besoins et la dépendance de la Belgique vis-à-vis de la migration. Caritas International est toutefois convaincue que la solidarité que nous devons manifester aux personnes migrantes ne doit en aucun cas être tributaire de leur niveau de contribution. Nous croyons en effet que tous et toutes, des personnes hautement qualifiées aux moins qualifiées, peuvent être des acteurs de développement si la société leur donne les moyens et la chance d’y parvenir.

      https://www.caritasinternational.be/fr/urgence-et-developpement/la-migration-contribue-au-developpement

      Pour télécharger le rapport sur la Belgique :


      https://www.caritasinternational.be/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rapport_Penser_Maison_Commune.pdf?x34636

    • Et pour l’#Allemagne...
      Gemeinsam Heimat sein

      Studie zum Zusammenhang zwischen Migration und Entwicklung am Beispiel Deutschlands hier herunterladen.
      Migration und Entwicklung sind zwei Begriffe, die populärer nicht sein könnten. Dass es eine Beziehung zwischen den beiden Prozessen gibt, ist inzwischen ein gängiges Thema in der Diskussion unter Forschern, Politikern und Praktikern. Dennoch ist es recht schwierig nachzuvollziehen, wie sie sich gegenseitig beeinflussen.

      Dem Landes-Caritasverband Bayern ist es, im Rahmen des EU-Projekts MIND, gelungen einen wissenschaftlichen Beitrag zu dieser Thematik zu leisten. Gemeinsam mit Dr. Annett Fleischer, Caritas Europa und Global Migration Policy Associates, ist die Publikation „Das gemeinsame Zuhause“ in der Edition Common Home für Deutschland entstanden. Anhand der Quellen und durch eine Vielzahl an Interviews mit Praktikerinnen und Praktikern aus diesen Bereichen, will die Studie eine Grundlage schaffen, um das öffentliche Verständnis für den Zusammenhang zwischen universeller nachhaltiger Entwicklung und Migration in Deutschland und in ausgewählten Entwicklungsländern zu verbessern. Des Weiteren werden deutsche Beiträge zur Entwicklungszusammenarbeit und das verstärkte Engagement von Regierungsbehörden aller Ebenen, zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen (CSOs), Einzelpersonen und anderen Akteuren bei der Bewältigung von Ursachen und Faktoren der Migration erläutert. Und schließlich rückt sie Migranten und Flüchtlinge als wichtige Entwicklungsakteure in den Vordergrund. Dabei geht es nicht nur um Zahlen, Daten und Fakten, sondern auch welche Hürden, Chancen und Möglichkeiten sich Migranten in Deutschland stellen müssen. Die Publikation schließt mit Empfehlungen, um Themen mit Migrationsbezug zukünftig erfolgreich zu gestalten:

      Diskriminierung und Fremdenfeindlichkeit verhindern!

      Gewährleistung des Schutzes aller Migranten und Flüchtlinge durch die Menschenrechte.

      Anwendung und Durchsetzung des Arbeitsrechts, der Normen für menschenwürdige Arbeit sowie des Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutzes für alle Migranten.

      Ersetzung des negativen Diskurses durch eine zutreffende und positive Erzählung über Migration.

      Ausbau sicherer und legaler Wege der Migration.

      Verstärktes Engagement der Städte und lokalen Akteure bei der Integration.

      Stärkung und Ermöglichung der Teilnahme von Migranten und Flüchtlingen in der lokalen Gemeinschaft und Städten sowie am politischen Dialog.

      Bewältigung der Fluchtursachen.

      Verbesserung der Datenerhebung und Wissensbestände zur Stärkung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Migration und Entwicklung.

      Stärkung des deutschen Engagements für die regionale, nationale und ganzheitliche menschliche Entwicklung im Ausland.

      Neben der deutschen Veröffentlichung werden auch die MIND Partnerländer (Österreich, Belgien, Bulgarien, Tschechien, Italien, Holland, Portugal, Slowakei Slowenien und Schweden) eine Publikation in der Edition Common Home veröffentlichen. Das Gelingen dieses Projekts ist ein gutes Beispiel für europäische Zusammenarbeit. Im Rahmen des MIND-Projekts hoffen wir, dass wir durch die europäischen Publikationen und den verschiedenen landesspezifischen Facetten wichtige Akzente zu den zukunftsweisenden Themen Migration und Entwicklung setzen können.


      https://www.caritas-bayern.de/beitraege/common-home-2019/1443490

      Pour télécharger le rapport en anglais :
      https://www.caritas-bayern.de/cms/contents/caritas-bayern.de/medien/dokumente/building-the-common/building_the_common_home_englisch.pdf?d=a

    • Interlinks between migration and development

      The EU and its Member States have reshaped their external policies, including development cooperation, to place more focus on migration-related issues. Widely used in this context, political rhetoric on ’addressing root causes of migration’ has been questioned by academics as creating unrealistic expectations. Indeed, a positive correlation between migration and narrowly understood economic development persists until countries reach middle-income country level. However,several key drivers of migration are related to discrepancies in levels of human development. Demographic pressures, youth unemployment, job opportunities in the country of destination, the growth of migrant networks and the desire to reunite families, all play roles in migration. A complex interaction between aid and migration also exists, which is far from a simple one-way causality. In general, poverty alleviation, the primary objective of development aid, tends to enhance rather than deter the realisation of the aspiration to migrate, in the short- and medium-term, by increasinghousehold incomes. A more global approach to cooperation with third countries, such as the EU’s already well-established assistance focusing on good governance, infrastructure, rural development and strengthening resilience, as well as going beyond development assistance to include trade and investment, appears promising in terms of deterring migration. On the other hand, studies confirm that international migration is an important path for development: remittances constitute a tool forpoverty reduction, while diaspora skills and networks provide resources for economic and social progress. Nevertheless, EU policy integrating development aid as an instrument for curbing irregular migration is criticised by development stakeholders as undermining aid effectiveness, principles, and risks diverting aid from the most needy and indirectly prompting human rights violations. To avoid such outcomes, a contextual analysis must be the basis for identifying genuine synergies to be reinforced between development and migration management.

      http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/630351/EPRS_BRI(2019)630351_EN.pdf
      #migration-development_nexus

    • What is home ?

      MIND ist ein Projekt, das von der Europäischen Kommission für drei Jahre finanziert wird. Es wird umgesetzt von zwölf Caritas-Organisationen in elf EU-Mitgliedsstaaten, nämlich Österreich, Bayern, Bulgarien, in der Tschechischen Republik, den Niederlanden, Belgien, Italien, Portugal, der Slowakei, Slowenien und Schweden. Außerdem wirkt Caritas Europa als Dachorganisation mit. Wir möchten gemeinsam mit unseren Partnern mehr Aufmerksamkeit auf Prozesse in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit und das Wissen um nachhaltige Entwicklung lenken. Die europaweite Webseite ist unter https://www.whatishome.eu zu finden.


      https://www.caritas.at/aktuell/kampagne/mind

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuKPn0lFwBY

      #home #chez_soi #maison

  • #Migration, déplacement et #éducation : bâtir des ponts, pas des murs

    L’édition 2019 du Rapport GEM poursuivra l’évaluation des progrès accomplis en vue de la réalisation de l’Objectif de développement durable relatif à l’éducation (ODD 4) et des 10 cibles correspondantes, ainsi que d’autres cibles en rapport avec l’éducation parmi l’ensemble des ODD. Le rapport donnera également des éléments concrets sur l’ampleur et les caractéristiques des différents types de migrations, ainsi que sur les distinctions entre les pays en matière de politiques et schémas migratoires pour ce qui est de l’éducation. De nouvelles données seront présentées concernant les disparités en termes de possibilités éducatives et de résultats entre les élèves immigrés et leurs camarades du pays d’accueil. Par ailleurs, le rapport visera à expliquer l’influence de l’éducation sur les migrations, ainsi que les défis distincts mais complexes que représentent les mouvements de populations pour les #systèmes_éducatifs et l’acquisition des compétences.

    Les analyses empiriques s’appuieront sur un large éventail de nouvelles séries de données provenant aussi bien de sources nationales qu’internationales. L’analyse et les études mettront en exergue des exemples de politiques et programmes favorisant l’inclusion tout en valorisant l’héritage culturel et les expériences des apprenants immigrés. Le rapport présentera en conclusion des recommandations pour des politiques adaptées aux différents contextes s’adressant à la fois aux pays d’accueil et aux pays d’origine.

    https://fr.unesco.org/gem-report/node/1878
    #mobilité #inclusion #intégration #IDPs #déplacés_internes #accès_à_l'éducation #SDGs #sustainable_development_goals

  • #blockchain, Human Rights, and the Supply Chain
    https://hackernoon.com/blockchain-human-rights-and-the-supply-chain-e58578adf267?source=rss----

    By: Laura Marissa CullellSenior Blockchain ConsultantHow much do you know about the products you use or buy on a regular basis? Or where your cell phone parts come from? What about the people who made them? Or What materials were used and wasted?The journey of a product is long and vast, and goes through several distributors, third parties, storage facilities, suppliers that handle anything from design, to sales, and productions. A product passes through so many different stages, and hands before making it onto store shelves. It’s incredibly difficult to truly track all of it properly, especially when corporate interests are at stake.This article will look at the current landscape of the supply chain and explore the benefits of blockchain technology. We will see how the benefits of (...)

    #blockchain-technology #sdgs #human-rights #supply-chain

  • #blockchain and the Sustainable Development Goals
    https://hackernoon.com/blockchain-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-c51c52e0af28?source=rss

    By: Laura Marissa CullellMarketing & Operations OfficerCan technology progress human rights? Provide humanitarian aid? Help combat Climate Change? Address issues of identity, trafficking, and provide access to food?The answer to these questions is yes. And Blockchain is a fantastic space to explore these issues right now.In the last article of our series on Unique and Interesting Use Cases for Blockchain, I explore some of the applications of blockchain to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Part I explored just some of the use cases of this innovative tech in the oil and gas industry. Part II saw the possibilities for blockchain in the Music Industry. Part III looked at the possibilities of blockchain in healthcare.For the past couple of months, I’ve been working on my (...)

    #blockchain-technology #sustainable-development #sdgs #human-rights

  • ’We are transforming our university into a place where talent once again feels valued and nurtured’

    Our university should once again belong to the academics, rather than the bureaucracy, writes the rector of #Ghent_University, Rik Van de Walle.

    Ghent University is deliberately choosing to step out of the rat race between individuals, departments and universities. We no longer wish to participate in the #ranking of people.

    It is a common complaint among academic staff that the mountain of paperwork, the cumbersome procedures and the administrative burden have grown to proportions that are barely controllable. Furthermore, the academic staff is increasingly put under pressure to count publications, citations and doctorates, on the basis of which funds are being allocated. The intense competition for funding often prevails over any possible collaboration across the boundaries of research groups, faculties and - why not - universities. With a new evaluation policy, Ghent University wants to address these concerns and at the same time breathe new life into its career guidance policy. Thus, the university can again become a place where talent feels valued and nurtured.

    We are transforming our university into a place where talent once again feels valued and nurtured.

    With the new career and evaluation model for professorial staff, Ghent University is opening new horizons for Flanders. The main idea is that the academy will once again belong to the academics rather than the bureaucracy. No more procedures and processes with always the same templates, metrics and criteria which lump everyone together.
    We opt for a radically new model: those who perform well will be promoted, with a minimum of accountability and administrative effort and a maximum of freedom and responsibility. The quality of the individual human capital is given priority: talent must be nurtured and feel valued.
    This marks the end of the personalized objectives, the annual job descriptions and the high number of evaluation documents and activity reports. Instead, the new approach is based on collaboration, collegiality and teamwork. All staff members will make commitments about how they can contribute to the objectives of the department, the education programmes, the faculty and the university.
    The evaluations will be greatly simplified and from now on only take place every five years instead of every two or four years. This should create an ’evaluation break’.

    We opt for a radically new model: those who perform well will be promoted, with a minimum of accountability and administrative effort and a maximum of freedom and responsibility. At the same time, we want to pay more attention to well-being at work: the evaluations of the supervisors will explicitly take into account the way in which they manage and coach their staff. The model must provide a response to the complaint of many young professors that quantitative parameters are predominant in the evaluation process. The well-known and overwhelming ’publication pressure’ is the most prominent exponent of this. Ghent University is deliberately choosing to step out of the rat race between individuals, departments and universities. We no longer wish to participate in the ranking of people.
    Through this model, we are expressly taking up our responsibility. In the political debate on the funding of universities and research applications, a constant argument is that we want to move away from purely competitive thinking that leaves too little room for disruptive ideas. The reply of the policy makers is of course that we must first do this within the university itself. This is a clear step in that direction, and it also shows our efforts to put our own house in order.
    With this cultural shift, Ghent University is taking the lead in Flanders, and we are proud of it. It is an initiative that is clearly in accordance with our motto: ’#Dare_to_Think'. Even more so, we dare to do it as well.
    A university is above all a place where everything can be questioned. Where opinions, procedures and habits are challenged. Where there is no place for rigidity.

    I am absolutely convinced that in a few years’ time we will see that this new approach has benefited the overall quality of our university and its people.


    https://www.ugent.be/en/news-events/ghent-university-talent-rat-race-transformation-career-evaluation-model.htm
    #université #alternative #résistance #Ghent #Belgique #bureaucratie #bureaucratisation #compétition #collaboration #carrière #évaluation #liberté #responsabilité #performance #publish_or_perish #publication #pression_à_publier #travail

    Je rêve que mon université fasse aussi un grand pas en cette direction, mais je crains que ça restera un rêve...

    • THE developing ranking based on #Sustainable_Development_Goals

      New league table will be first to measure global universities’ success in delivering on UN targets

      Times Higher Education is developing a new global university ranking that aims to measure institutions’ success in delivering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

      The 17 goals – which include providing inclusive and equitable quality education, achieving gender equality and fostering innovation – were adopted by the UN in 2016 and provide a framework for developing the world in a sustainable way.

      The first edition of the ranking will include metrics based on 11 SDGs, but the long-term goal is to measure performance against all 17 goals.

      Data will be collected from universities and Elsevier to produce an overall ranking of universities based on the best four or five SDGs per university. Individual rankings of the universities that are best achieving the 11 SDGs will also be published.

      The ranking will be open to all accredited universities that teach undergraduates, and the first edition will be launched at THE’s Innovation and Impact Summit in South Korea in April 2019. Data collection will begin this autumn.

      Metrics currently being explored include the number of graduates in health professions, the proportion of women in senior academic positions, and policies and practices regarding employment security.

      An initial draft of the metrics will be developed in partnership with Vertigo Ventures, an organisation that works with leading research institutions globally to help them identify, capture and report the impact of their work, and there will be a workshop on the first iteration of the methodology at THE’s World Academic Summit in Singapore later this month.

      Phil Baty, THE’s editorial director of global rankings, said that THE originally planned to launch an impact ranking based primarily on universities’ economic impact – examining their interactions with business and their development of commercially exploitable ideas – but has decided to expand its approach to cover a much wider definition of impact, based on feedback from the sector.

      While some national systems were trying to gather evidence on universities’ role in achieving the SDGs, the new ranking will be the first global attempt at measuring this activity and “moves well beyond established ranking parameters of research and reputation”, he added.

      Mr Baty said that the new table will also provide an opportunity for institutions that do not usually appear in the THE World University Rankings to feature.

      “We are working to develop metrics that enable universities across the world to evidence their impact – not just those that are located in more developed nations,” he said.

      https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/developing-ranking-based-sustainable-development-goals

      #SDGs

    • The English Trojan horse destroying Dutch universities

      In December, the Dutch Inspectorate of Education published the results of an investigation which suggest that in May last year the association ‘Beter Onderwijs Nederland’ (BON or Better Education Netherlands) had perfectly good reasons for filing a lawsuit against two Dutch universities and the inspectorate of education itself in an attempt to stop the unbridled anglicisation of higher education in the Netherlands.

      Had the results of the inspectorate’s investigation been available at that point, BON might perhaps have won the case by framing the arguments in their legal brief somewhat differently.

      Beyond any doubt, the investigation shows that many institutions of higher education in the Netherlands violate the Dutch Higher Education Law. In addition, it suggests that the inspectorate has failed in its task of monitoring whether these institutions comply with the relevant articles in the law (WHW 1.3 and 7.2).

      If it had indeed followed developments regarding internationalisation, as it says in the very first sentence of the investigation report’s summary, shouldn’t it – or the minister responsible – have acted accordingly years ago when all the official figures about degree programmes taught entirely in English indicated that the law was being massively ignored?

      So what does the law, issued in 1992, state with respect to the language of instruction in Dutch higher education and how does the incidence of English-only degree programmes fare against this legislation?

      Article 1.3 of the WHW dictates that institutions of higher education should advance the Dutch language proficiency of all Dutch students. The related article 7.2 states that instruction and examinations should be in Dutch, except if (a) the degree programme in question specifically aims to help them acquire another language; (b) a lecture is given by a visiting lecturer who doesn’t speak Dutch, or (c) the specific nature, organisation or quality of teaching or the origin of the students necessitates the use of a language other than Dutch.

      If 7.2c applies, the necessity of using another language should be explained in a code of conduct that is adopted by the institution’s executive board. Beyond all doubt, the law supports the idea that the default language in Dutch higher education is Dutch.

      Reaching a tipping point

      In view of the unmistakable intent of the WHW to safeguard the position of Dutch, the figures concerning the number of degree programmes completely taught in English in Dutch universities are downright stunning, and higher than anywhere else in Europe.

      In the academic year 2017-18, 23% of all bachelor degree programmes and 74% of all masters degree programmes offered by Dutch universities were entirely in English.

      Nevertheless, the anglicisation process continues. The latest numbers, issued in December 2018, show that this academic year there has been an increase of 5% for bachelor degree programmes and 2% for the masters programmes that are conducted entirely in English.

      Tipping point reached

      With these new figures, the tipping point has been reached of more programmes being taught in English than in Dutch. At the University of Twente and Maastricht University, the two universities that BON summoned to court in 2018, English saturation is nearly complete, including in bachelor degree programmes.

      The percentages of all-English programmes show that universities clearly do not act in the spirit of WHW articles 1.3 and 7.2. But do they actually violate the law?

      The inspectorate’s investigation points out that many Dutch institutions of higher education, including a couple of universities, are indeed breaking the law.

      The inquiry focused on the code of conduct mentioned in article 7.2c, such a code being obligatory in all cases where English (or any other language) instead of Dutch is used as the language of instruction. It is even required if English is the language of instruction in only part of a programme and it should always explain the need to use a language other than Dutch.

      Two of the main questions addressed in the investigation therefore were whether institutions of higher education that offer at least one programme entirely or largely in English actually have a code of conduct and, if so, whether its content complies with legal requirements.

      Seventy-seven of the 125 Dutch higher education institutions fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in the investigation, among them publicly funded research universities, universities of applied science (‘hogescholen’) and non-publicly funded institutions. Remarkably, only 43 of these 77 actually had a code of conduct so the other 34 thus clearly violated the law.

      Equally noteworthy is the fact that the need for instruction in English was not substantiated by weighty arguments in any of the 43 codes of conduct as article 7.2c requires.

      It is extremely puzzling that in about one-third of the codes of conduct a different principle than the clear ‘Dutch unless’ standard is adopted, including its opposite, the ‘English unless’ principle – and the reasons for deviating from Dutch as the default language are often not explained.

      In view of the fact that the law was issued in 1992, a final noteworthy outcome of the inspectorate’s inquiry is that half of the codes of conduct date from 2017 and 2018. One cannot help suspecting that the institutions in question may have drawn them up to retroactively legitimise their language policy, possibly responding to growing public concern about English rapidly replacing Dutch in Dutch higher education.

      Impact on internationalisation

      The main motive for providing all-English programmes is that these are strong magnets for foreign students, who, in an increasing number of programmes, outnumber their Dutch peers.

      For example, the percentage of international students among first-year psychology students at the University of Twente, Maastricht University and the University of Amsterdam rose, respectively, from 50% to 80%, from 52% to 86% and from 3% to 57% the year entire programmes were first offered in English.

      Dutch (research) universities have seen their student numbers expand substantially over the last couple of years, mainly due to the increasing influx of international students. Just this academic year the student population increased by 5%. Since 2000 universities have seen their student population grow by 68% without any proportional rise in funding.

      They have now reached a point at which they can no longer cope with the influx – there are more than 1,000 first-year students bursting out of the lecture halls in some fields of study.

      Ironically, in an attempt to gain control over the inflow of international students, the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) is trying to get the minister’s approval for a cap on enrolment on all-English programmes in order to secure the educational quality that is jeopardised by universities’ uncontrollable growth.

      Fluency risk

      Another reason why educational quality is at risk on all-English programmes is that proficiency in a second language is generally lower than in a native language. This also applies to the Dutch, who tend to greatly overestimate their fluency in English. This lower proficiency in English impedes students’ knowledge acquisition and academic development and hampers the transfer of knowledge and skills by lecturers.

      In view of the fact that WHW article 1.3 clearly aims to foster students’ Dutch language proficiency and protect the position of Dutch in general, all-English instruction also adversely affects educational quality because it results in the opposite: a declining Dutch language proficiency in students enrolled on such programmes and the gradual disappearance of Dutch as a scientific and cultural language.

      Let there be no mistake. The opponents of anglicisation of higher education in the Netherlands do not object to the prominent presence of English in education next to Dutch. Many would even welcome the balanced presence of Dutch and English on truly bilingual programmes.

      What they instead oppose is the complete replacement of Dutch by English, as happens on all-English programmes. It is by offering these programmes on such a large scale that Dutch universities have built a Trojan horse that is now defeating them within their own walls.

      https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190121062548730
      #anglicisation #anglais #langue #cheval_de_Troie

  • Accelerated remittances growth to low- and middle-income countries in 2018

    Remittances to low- and middle-income countries grew rapidly and are projected to reach a new record in 2018, says the latest edition of the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, released today.

    The Bank estimates that officially recorded remittances to developing countries will increase by 10.8 percent to reach $528 billion in 2018. This new record level follows robust growth of 7.8 percent in 2017. Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, are projected to grow by 10.3 percent to $689 billion.

    Remittance flows rose in all regions, most notably in Europe and Central Asia (20 percent) and South Asia (13.5 percent), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (9.8 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (9.3 percent), the Middle East and North Africa (9.1 percent), and East Asia and the Pacific (6.6 percent). Growth was driven by a stronger economy and employment situation in the United States and a rebound in outward flows from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Russian Federation.

    Among major remittance recipients, India retains its top spot, with remittances expected to total $80 billion this year, followed by China ($67 billion), Mexico and the Philippines ($34 billion each), and Egypt ($26 billion).

    As global growth is projected to moderate, future remittances to low- and middle-income countries are expected to grow moderately by 4 percent to reach $549 billion in 2019. Global remittances are expected to grow 3.7 percent to $715 billion in 2019.

    The Brief notes that the global average cost of sending $200 remains high at 6.9 percent in the third quarter of 2018. Reducing remittance costs to 3 percent by 2030 is a global target under #Sustainable_Development_Goals (SDG) 10.7. Increasing the volume of remittances is also a global goal under the proposals for raising financing for the SDGs.

    https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/12/08/accelerated-remittances-growth-to-low-and-middle-income-countries-in-2018

    #remittances #migrations #statistiques #chiffres #2018 #coût #SDGs

    • #Rapport : Migration and Remittances

      This Migration and Development Brief reports global trends in migration and remittance flows. It highlights developments connected to migration-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators for which the World Bank is a custodian: increasing the volume of remittances as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) (SDG indicator 17.3.2), reducing remittance costs (SDG indicator 10.c.1), and reducing recruitment costs for migrant workers (SDG indicator 10.7.1). This Brief also presents recent developments on the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) and proposes an implementation and review mechanism.


      https://www.knomad.org/publication/migration-and-development-brief-30

      Pour télécharger le rapport :
      https://www.knomad.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/Migration%20and%20Development%20Brief%2030%20advance%20copy.pdf

    • International Remittances Headline ACP-EU-IOM Discussions in #Ghana

      In Sub-Saharan Africa, the flow of remittances is on the rise, but the cost to transfer these funds is far higher than the global average, making the region the most expensive place in the world to send money.

      The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and partners focused on improving the use of migrant remittances, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa at a three-day regional thematic meeting starting today (19/02) in Accra, Ghana.

      International remittances have been taking on increasing weight in the global policy agenda in recent years according to Jeffrey Labovitz, IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa, who is speaking at the event.

      “This in part reflects the growing understanding that improving and harnessing the flow of remittances can have a substantial impact on development,” he said.

      Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa grew from USD 34 billion in 2016 to USD 38 billion in 2017, an increase of over 11 per cent. Despite this increase – a trend which is expected to continue through 2019 – Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive place in the world to send money with an average cost of 9.4 per cent of the transfer amount, a figure that was 29 per cent above the world average in 2017. This is far short of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target 10.C.3 to reduce the transaction costs of migrant remittances to less than 3 per cent by 2030.

      “Almost 75 per cent of remittances are spent on consumption which greatly benefit the receiving households and communities,” said Claudia Natali, Regional Specialist on Labour Mobility and Development at the IOM Regional Office for West and Central Africa.

      “But more could be done to maximize the remaining 25 per cent. Fostering financial inclusion and promoting initiatives that help people manage the funds can go a long way to harness development impacts of remittances,” she added.

      The meeting, which runs through Thursday (21/02), is providing a platform for communication, exchange and learning for 80 participants involved in IOM’s “ACP-EU Migration Action", including migration experts and representatives from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) governments, regional organizations, the European Union (EU), UN agencies and NGOs working in remittances and diaspora mobilization.

      Given that remittances are at the heart of the joint ACP Group of States and European Union Dialogue’s recommendations on migration, discussions also aim to generate thematic recommendations for the Sub-Saharan region and establish links between the outcomes of the ACP-EU Migration Action programme, and processes relevant to the ACP-EU Dialogue on Migration and Development at the regional and global levels.

      The meeting is organized by IOM’s country office for Ghana and the IOM Regional Office in Brussels in partnership with the African Institute for Remittances (AIR) and Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership (MFW4A).

      IOM’s ACP-EU Migration Action, launched in June 2014, provides tailored technical support on migration to ACP countries and regional organizations. To date it has received 74 technical assistance requests from 67 ACP governments and 7 regional organizations, a third of which directly concern remittances.

      The programme is financed by the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) and supported by the ACP Secretariat and the EU. For more information on the ACP-EU Migration Action, go to: www.acpeumigrationaction.iom.int.

      https://www.iom.int/news/international-remittances-headline-acp-eu-iom-discussions-ghana

    • The cost of cross-border payments needs to drop

      FOR MOST of human history, sending money across borders has cost the earth. Thankfully for globetrotters and e-shoppers in the rich world, that has changed in the past decade. A shift from cash and travellers’ cheques towards digital payments has cut the cost of moving funds around. And a new generation of fintech firms has broken the stranglehold that big banks used to have on money transfers (see article). As a result, fees have fallen. The cost of a transfer between consumers or small firms who are both in G7 countries can now cost 2% or less. This year some $10trn will pass across borders. As prices fall further, the sums will grow.


      https://amp.economist.com/leaders/2019/04/13/the-cost-of-cross-border-payments-needs-to-drop
      #paywall

  • Migration and development . How human mobility can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
    Briefing note

    • Migration is one of the defining features of the 21st century and contributes significantly to all aspects of economic and social development everywhere.
    • It can have both positive and negative impacts on development outcomes in origin, transit and host countries – depending on the policies in place.
    • Migration is a powerful poverty reduction tool for migrants, their families and wider communities and can contribute to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
    • The specific vulnerabilities of migrants are often overlooked in policies and programmes, limiting opportunities for positive development outcomes.
    • The implementation of the #Global_Compact_for_Migration offers a unique opportunity to be a platform for action to integrate development and migration.

    https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/12421.pdf
    #SDGs #développement #migrations #mobilité #pauvreté #vulnérabilité

  • #blockchain For #peace — Law & Governance Hackathon
    https://hackernoon.com/blockchain-for-peace-law-governance-hackathon-41bb784cc25f?source=rss---

    Blockchain for Peace is a community resource center for social entrepreneurs, researchers, and impact investors to create an open-source knowledge library.Where do coders, designers, and academics go to unleash their best ideas and push the limits of their creativity and intelligence? At #hackathons hundreds of people form teams to give birth to ideas in only 24 hours before presenting their creations to a panel of judges to win prizes. We’re excited to announce the dopest hackathon of the year, Blockchain for Peace’s “Law & Governance” hack at Bushwick Generator on July 27–29th. It will be co-hosted by Peace Accelerators, Stanford University, and Bushwick Blockchain Alliance, taking place two blocks from ConsenSys headquarters in the heart of NYC’s blockchain community.Signup now on (...)

    #government #sdgs