IOM Statement for GMS 17th Ministerial Conference on Sub regional Economic Cooperation PhnomPenh,Cambodia,204August2011 YukoHamada Senior Regional

Labor Migration /Migration and Development, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific,InternationalOrganizationforMigrationIOM YourExcellencies,distinguishedguests,colleaguesfromADB,developmentpartners,ladiesand gentlemen.OnbehalfofInternationalOrganizationforMigration,Iwouldliketothankyouall for this opportunity to be here and discuss important initiatives to be taken for the GMS cooperation.Ithasbeensuchafruitfuldiscussion,andIfeelsolidaritiesandcommitmentthat arebornfromthisconference. Now,pleaseallowmetoshareIOMsinsightsondevelopmentcooperationpoliciesand strategies for the GMS in the next decade and ideas towards more effective and better coordinatedmobilizationofsupporttoimplementthenewstrategicframework. Since the launch of the programof regional cooperation in 1992, GMS countries have seen dramatic improvements in sub regional economic cooperation and development. Migration has been an important factor in these improvements and, increasingly, GMS countries are noting that properly managed migration has the potential to substantially contributetosustainablehumanresourcedevelopment. In addition to its close links with the ADB, UN partner organizations, and other developmentpartners,IOMremainsstronglyengagedinprovidingsupportonmigrationissues throughpartnershipswiththegovernmentsofthesixcountriesoftheGMSandbeyond.Where possible, IOM develops regional solutions to address crossborder issues to promote humane and orderly migration. However, new migration challenges, such as climate change, changing demographics and inter subregional labor migration movement must also be addressed to fulfillthepotentialforHRDdevelopment.

The endorsed GMS strategic framework 20122022 echoes IOMs strategic areas of focusforHRDcooperation.IOMseekstobroadenitsengagementacrosstheseareasoffocus, particularlyinareaswhereitcanaddresscrossborderHRDissuesresultingfromsubregional integration. IOM seeks to promote regional cooperation in all priory areas that were addressed undertheLaborandMigraiton,whicharepolicyformulation,capacitybuilding,andresearch. Forpolicywork,IOMwouldliketocontributetotheGMSindevelopingandstrengthing effective labor migration policies. This is particularly important in line with ASEANs commitment to the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 to facilitate the free movementofservicesandskilledlabourintheregion. IOM continues to support the GMS in strengthening their capacities in migration governance. In partnering with other organizations, we will continue to provide appropriate capacitybuilding support to the member states. In addition, we will continue its effort to support GMS in research and projects in educating populations in the area of safe labor migration. In 2009, IOM contributed a background paper for the fourth GMS sub region developmentdialoguewhichwaspresentedinChina.Thispaperprovidedathouroughanalysis onlabormigrationissueandprovidedgroundforthefurtherpolicyresearchinthefield. Furthermore, recent success stories include an ADB funded project that reduced the vulnerabilityofpotentialirregularmigrantworkersinselectedareasofCambodiaandLaoPDR through intensive villagebased activities. These activities provided reliable information and awareness raising to potential migrant workers in their own language, and assisted in the development of selfprotection networks at the community level. The project, undertaken in partnershipwiththeMinistryofWomensAffairs(MoWA)inCambodiaandwiththeMinistryof Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) in Lao PDR, contributed to a holistic safe migration strategynecessarytoreduceirregularmigrationandthevulnerabilitiesofirregularmigrants. Ladiesandgentlement,inordertomoreeffectiveandbettercoordinatedmobilization ofsupporttoimplementthenewstrategicframework,weshouldbeunitedtoachievecommon

goalsbyprovidingtechnicalexpertiseandresources,sharinggoodpracticesandlessonsleanrt, but,alwayskeepinmind,people.IOMarecommittedtosupportinggovernmentcounterparts recognize the importance of building regional solutions to improve the humanresource capacity of both government officials and migrants. Lastly, I would like to conclude my statementbythankingthekingdomofCambodiaandADBtoorganizethissuccessfulevent. Thankyouverymuch.