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THE WORKSHOP
IOM Membership’s decision to hold a workshop on integration
of migrants reflects an increasing recognition that in the global
context of growing human mobility, this issue has become
an important and complex contemporary challenge faced
by governments and societies worldwide. The workshop on
“Migrants and Host Societies: Partnerships for Success” was held
within the framework of the International Dialogue on Migration
and its overall theme for 2006: “Partnerships in Migration:
Engaging Business and Civil Society”, which had been selected
by the membership. In addition to fulfilling IOM’s constitutional
mandate to provide a forum for governments, international and
other organizations, this workshop has paid particular attention
to the extremely important role of non-state actors, in particular
the business community and civil society organizations.
The event was well attended, with approximately 175 participants
coming from over 60 countries. Several intergovernmental
organizations were also represented as well as non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), academics and the private sector. Panellists
representing a variety of viewpoints – countries of destination and
origin, migrants, civil society and the private sector – interacted
with an active group of participants.
Delegates discussed the evolving concept of integration, its
multifaceted dimensions, strategies for making it successful, the
roles of principal stakeholders (i.e. migrants, government at all
levels, the private sector, civil society), and the need for innovative
partnerships between these groups with a view towards
developing effective integration policies and practices.
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