Global Commission on International Migration

Global Commission on International Migration holds its Regional Hearing for Africa

South Africa will host the Regional Hearing for Africa on United Nation's Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) under the theme: To provide a framework for the formulation of a coherent, comprehensive and global response to international migration" in Cape Town from 28 February to 1 March 2005.

The hearing, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will deal with migration flows from, within and to the continent and cover a broad number of issues, including; economic aspect of migration, irregular migration, migrants in society and human rights of migrants, and national, regional and global governance of migration.

The South African Minister of Home Affairs, HE Mrs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, will open the conference and welcome Commission members and participants to the two-day meeting. Commission Co-chair, Dr Mamphela Ramphele (South Africa), will also address the participants of the conference.

The Global Commission on International Migration, the first-ever global panel addressing international migration, was officially launched by the United Nations General-Secretary and a Core Group of interested governments, including South Africa on 09 December 2003 in Geneva.

The overall aim of the GCIM is to provide the framework for the formulation of coherence, comprehensive and global response to migration issues.

The Commission is actively engaged in regional consultations by organizing 5 broad based Regional Hearings with governments, regional and global organizations, migration experts, NGO's, media, corporate sector, trade unions and other stakeholders.

The Africa's Regional Hearing is the fourth after the ones that were held in Asia and the Pacific in May 2004, Mediterranean and Middle East in September 2004, and Europe in November 2004. The fifth hearing would be held in America during the month of May this year.

The Cape Town hearing would be attended by delegates of governments from Southern Africa, East Africa, the Great Lakes Regions, West Africa, Central Africa and Northern Africa together with regional and global organizations, migration experts, NGO's, media, corporate sector, trade unions and other stakeholders.

The Africa's Regional Hearing will be followed by a closed Commission-only meeting on 2 March 2005.

The Commission will present its final report and recommendations to the UN Secretary-General, governments and other stakeholders by mid-summer 2005.

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