International Migration: Global Perspectives and Implications for Britain

The Report of the Global Commission on International Migration UK Launch Event

The Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) was launched by the United Nations Secretary-General in December 2003 in Geneva . The resulting document “Migration in an interconnected world: New directions for action” was presented to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, UN Members States and other stakeholders on the 5th of October 2005.

Richard Black introduced Commissioner Mary Robinson and co-chair Jan Karlsson who presented the report

On the 9th of December 2005, an event was held to mark the UK launch of the report. Organised by the Development Research Centre on Migration, Globalisation and Poverty (University of Sussex) and the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS at Oxford University) the conference "International Migration: Global Perspectives and Implications for Britain" was designed to stimulate public debate in the UK regarding the issue of international migration, bringing together both academic and policy perspectives.

The report was presented by two representatives of the Commission - Mr. Jan O. Karlsson, former Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation, Migration and Asylum Policy, and former President of the European Court of Auditors of the European Union and Commissioner Mary Robinson, Director of the Ethical Globalisation Initiative and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. A round table of senior government figures from the Home Office, Foreign Office and Department for International Development commented on the report and then academics in the field were joined by policy advisors for a discussion and questions from the audience.