International Migration Policy Seminar for the Caribbean Region

IOM and IMP convened a migration policy seminar for the Caribbean region in Jamaica from 28 May to 1 June 2001, as a follow-up to the regional meeting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in November 2000. The major aims of this seminar were to find common solutions to the challenges posed by labour migration, migrant trafficking, HIV/AIDS and irregular migration in general. While the seminar was held under the aegis of IMP, there was a follow-up two-day meeting with governments and other participants to find ways of translating the findings of the seminar into practical work plans of use to both the governments of the region and IOM. This was an important and ground-breaking adjunct to the IMP/IOM seminar inasmuch as it took the discussion to the next level of practical programme planning.

The seminar helped prepare the way for: (a) the counter-trafficking meeting planned for the Caribbean later in 2001; and (b) concrete projects in key areas such as academic training for migration officials, counter-trafficking projects throughout the region and a pilot project for better remittance management (Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica).