Vienna Migration Conference 2018 - seeking viable options for future migration governance

Vienna, Austria (ots) - "Refugee Protection" and "Labour
Migration" will be the central themes of the two-day migration
conference in Vienna

"Migration Ministers" from Afghanistan, Germany, Netherlands,
Portugal, and Tunisia

In its third year, the "Vienna Migration Conference 2018"
organised by the International Center for Migration Policy
Development (ICMPD) is dedicated to an ambitious goal: overcoming the
crisis mode of today and working towards long-term and
forward-thinking migration policies.

The conference, starting tomorrow evening, is based on the
"Migration Partnership Concept" and its five principles which were
presented last year: "enhance crisis responsiveness", "foster refugee
autonomy, responsibility sharing and pathways to protection",
"address the regional dimensions of migration and displacement",
"create pathways for legal migration and perspectives for the young
and educated in countries of origin" and "make return policies more
intelligent".

This year, the conference will focus on two priority areas for
migration partnerships where political progress is needed the most
and where a comprehensive debate can contribute towards substantial
gains: regulation in addressing the global refugee crisis and
ensuring access to international protection on the one hand, and
building a system of functioning labour migration on the other.
"Although the situation in Europe has improved recently, it is clear
that the crisis is by no means over. Many important steps have been
taken, however, we still face major challenges we need to address."
said ICMPD Director-General Michael Spindelegger, who initiated the
first Vienna Migration conference in 2016.

The three panel discussions at this year's conference, held in the
Aula of Sciences, host a number of prominent guests. Ministers and
state secretaries from Afghanistan, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal
and Tunisia will discuss the themes of the conference during the
"High-Level Political Panel " from the perspective the
decision-makers. The second day of the conference will gather a
number of well-known migration experts. Its first panel will discuss
the question of the reform of the international protection system
following an introduction to last year's global compact process by
Jonathan Prentice, the Chief of Office of the UN Special Envoy for
International Migration. Pannelists, amongst others, are Pascal
Teixeira da Silva, the "Ambassador for Migration" appointed by
President Macron, Nina Gregori , Director General for Migration and
Naturalization in Slovenia, and Grainne O' Hara, Director of the
Division of International Protection, United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugee,. Under the heading The second panel titled
"Skilled Migration" will welcome Cornelia Lüthy, Vice Director at the
State Secretariat for Migration, Switzerland, Matthias Oel, Director
at the Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs, European
Commission, Jean-Christophe Dumont, Head of the International
Migration Division at the OECD, and Alfred Höhn, Leader of the
Government & Public Sector at PricewaterhouseCoopers. They will speak
to an expected audience of more than 400 invited guests.

The International Centre for Migration Policy Development is a key
player in the migration field. The Centre works with a broad number
of international partners to deepen effective cooperation and
partnerships along migration routes. Priority regions include Africa,
Central and South Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Its three pillar
approach in migration management - linking research, migration
dialogues and capacity building - contributes to better migration
policy development world-wide. ICMPD has a staff of about 300 people
and is active in more than 90 countries. The Vienna-based
organisation has a mission in Brussels, and regional and project
offices in many parts of the world.

For more information about ICMPD visit: www.icmpd.org

For more information, please contact:
Bernhard Schragl
ICMPD - Communication and Media Coordinator
Tel: +43 1 504 4677 2444
Fax: +43 1 504 4677 2375
media@icmpd.org
www.icmpd.org

Original-Content von: International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), übermittelt durch news aktuell