ERA OF INCREASED MOBILITY REQUIRES BETTER PROTECTION OF MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS,

In an era where people are crossing borders in greater numbers seeking better opportunities, it is more vital than ever that States safeguard the rights of migrants, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a high-level gathering in Athens today.

“Let us never forget than in the end, policies and laws are really about people and values,” he said in his remarks to the opening of the third Global Forum on Migration and Development.

The Secretary-General noted that the number of international migrants today is greater than at anytime in history, with 214 million people living outside their country of birth.

Highlighting the good that such mobility can generate, he said that, when managed well, global migration greatly improves human welfare and development. Also, migrants contribute to development in their homelands by transferring remittances and transmitting new ideas and technologies.

Meanwhile, in countries of destination, migrants fill gaps in labour demand and skills to make the economy more productive.

“But we have work ahead of us,” he told the gathering. “Around the world, migration is often the subject of shrill debate – a wedge to provoke social tensions, drive political extremes, fan the flames of discrimination and hatred.

“We cannot yet say that the development potential of international migration is being fully realized. We cannot yet declare that the rights of migrants are being fully respected.”

He noted that the conditions in which many migrants move and live continue to be “treacherous,” that human trafficking and sexual exploitation are disturbing realities and, in many parts of the world, migrant workers still face appalling working conditions.

Mr. Ban called on all countries to work together to tackle migration, highlighting three challenges that add to the urgency for action – the economic crisis, climate change, and the scourge of human trafficking, particularly of women and girls.

“As we look to these challenges, we recognize that in many ways, migration is not just a journey of people – it is a journey of policy,” he said.

“Our destination is a global system of mobility that allows people to move in legal, safe and orderly ways – with full respect for their dignity.”

While in the Greek capital, Mr. Ban is also scheduled to address a special session of Parliament and meet with senior Government officials, including Prime Minister George Papandreou and President Karolos Papoulias.

UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

NEW INVESTMENT MONITORING TOOL AIMS TO BOOST BUSINESS IN AFRICA

Mapping investment flows in Africa and offering investors more information for analysis and decision making is the aim of a new Internet-based Monitoring Platform launched by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the African Union Commission at a meeting in Addis-Ababa today.

The two-day event was attended by the Ministers of Industry from Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal, as well as representatives of the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, African investment promotion agencies, the private sector, and UNIDO experts.

The new Investment Monitoring Platform will provide data and information on the characteristics of foreign and domestic investors, as well as their motivations, actions, perceptions, intentions, and impact.

UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, welcomed the initiative, saying: “The Monitoring Platform will bring a new level of transparency to the investment and business landscape in Africa. It will allow country ranking through investor evaluation and performance. It will also enable investors to conduct analysis and make more informed decisions, better assess business risks, and identify potential counterparts.”

The data on the platform will be supplied through bi-annual surveys of both foreign and domestic investors conducted in more than 20 African countries by UNIDO. The first surveys will start on 23 July in Kenya and Senegal. By the end of October, 22 countries will have been covered.

“The information gathered will also allow for a better understanding of the impact of the global financial crisis on investment flows in Africa. It will help Government and national agencies design more effective investment and business policies, promotion strategies and services that respond to investor needs, and formulate viable industrialization strategies for the continent,” said Yumkella.

The Investment Monitoring Platform, designed in partnership with the Microsoft Corporation, is supported by the African Union Commission and financed by the European Union Commission, the Governments of Austria, Italy, Turkey and South Africa. It is the result of the collaboration between UNIDO and the Investment Promotion Agencies Network (AfrIPANet), established in 2001 and currently comprising more than 40 members throughout Africa. One of its objective is to promote partnerships among investment promotion and industrial development stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

The investment monitoring platform is part of the industrialization strategy for Africa adopted by the Conference of African Ministers of Industry at Durban, South Africa, in October 2008.

For more information, please visit the Afripanet website

US EXPORT COUNCIL PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO US COMPANIES SEEKING ACCESS TO HIGH GROWTH MARKETS OVERSEAS. http://usexportcouncil.com/