2007 (PDF, 2.81 MB) - Belgium
2007 (PDF, 2.81 MB) - Belgium
2007 (PDF, 2.81 MB) - Belgium
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
First meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, Brussels, July <strong>2007</strong> © FPS Foreign Affairs, DGM<br />
Over 800 people, representing a total of 156 countries<br />
and 20 international organisations, took part in the<br />
Global Forum meeting in Brussels. You can read the<br />
report on the meeting on the FPS Foreign Affairs website<br />
(www.diplomatie.be). <strong>Belgium</strong> was much applauded<br />
for its excellent organisation of the event. This was<br />
a difficult task because it involved not merely setting<br />
up a one-off meeting – it also entailed the preparations<br />
for the meeting and the follow-up. Therefore a<br />
special task force was established, with participants<br />
from the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Philippines, international<br />
organisations and, of course, <strong>Belgium</strong>.<br />
There have been various follow-up activities to the<br />
meeting, with <strong>Belgium</strong> still being regularly invited<br />
to take part in international meetings and working<br />
groups. A lot of follow-up work needs to be done on<br />
the domestic front too now. The FPS is carrying out<br />
these activities in <strong>Belgium</strong> in consultation with all the<br />
competent authorities and NGOs which actively took<br />
part in preparations for the meeting and in the event<br />
itself. In addition, <strong>Belgium</strong> is actively involved in preparing<br />
the second Global Forum meeting, to be held<br />
in Manila in the autumn of 2008.<br />
In a nutshell, organising the meeting put <strong>Belgium</strong><br />
on the map in terms of the international migration<br />
debate.<br />
Information on special website<br />
The meeting made active use of the internet. Those<br />
interested could find all relevant information about<br />
the programme and background articles that were<br />
used as a basis for the round tables, speeches and<br />
so forth on a website specifically set up for the purpose<br />
(www.gfmd-fmmd.org). The website also included<br />
a secure area for Friends of the Forum only. Daily<br />
traffic varied from 2,000 to 5,000 visitors, reaching<br />
its peak in the immediate run-up to the meeting.<br />
Afterwards the site was kept online so that those interested<br />
could consult the Global Forum’s decisions<br />
and recommendations.<br />
44
Change language