|
|
29 September 1993
Doc. 6941
1403-29/9/93-5-E
OPINION
on the activities of OECD in 19921
in the field of migration and demography
(Rapporteur: Mrs ROBERT,
Switzerland, Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group)
Introduction
1. The Rapporteur has examined with interest the activities of OECD in 1992 in the field of migration and demography. In addition to offering some comments and suggestions, this opinion summarises activities described in the annual report of OECD for 1992 and the 1992 report of the Continuous Reporting System on Migration (SOPEMI).
International migration
2. The Ministerial Council of OECD, meeting on 18 and 19 May 1992, stressed the growing importance of international migration issues and invited OECD to pursue its work in this field, focusing in particular on the economic and social causes and consequences of migration.
3. In order to help OECD in its work, the Ministerial Council renewed and revised the mandate of the Working Party on Migration so that the latter might devote special attention to the information policies and practices of member states and, as far as possible, non-member states, and also to their demographic and social consequences, with a view to solving the problems arising from migration.
4. Experts from employer and trade union bodies have already drawn up a document summarising the economic and social implications of migration.
5. The experts appointed by the Secretary General in 1991 have produced reports on the future orientation of work in the field of migration.
6. OECD organised an international conference on the theme "Migration and international co-operation: challenges for OECD countries" which was held in Madrid from 29 to 31 March 1993.
7. The SOPEMI was enlarged in 1992 by the inclusion of new correspondents from Japan, Bulgaria and Romania. Its last report was focused on migration in central and eastern Europe, taking into account the experience of Hungary, Poland and the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. It is hoped that other east European countries will join the Continuous Reporting System on Migration (SOPEMI).
8. In view of the acceleration in migratory movements from the countries of central and eastern Europe, OECD must strive to help its member states gain greater control over these flows and modulate them in relation to the needs of the labour market and host countries' integration capabilities, while bearing in mind the increased complexity of migratory patterns.
9. The experience of OECD puts it in an ideal position to help member states manage the economic and social causes and consequences of these flows, by considering the economic measures to be taken and the needs of the labour market on the basis of statistics and the many studies already undertaken in the field of development aid. OECD will also have to evaluate the social burdens involved and help host countries assess the structural consequences of the available options (either resorting to foreign labour or controlling new arrivals).
10. It would be useful if OECD took account of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1211 (1993) on clandestine migration: traffickers and employers of clandestine migrants which proposes, among other measures, short, medium and long-term programmes aimed at gradually eliminating political and economic factors. The same applies to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1206 (1993) on the integration of migrants and community relations.
11. Given the complementary nature of the work undertaken in this field by OECD and the Council of Europe, co-operation between these two bodies could only be beneficial in identifying possible solutions to this major problem.
Points for inclusion in the draft resolution in reply to the report on OECD activities in 1992
12. The committee proposed that the following points be inserted in the draft resolution to be presented by the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development:
"... migration and demography":
In view of the expanding growth of migratory flows from the countries of central and eastern Europe and their consequences for the economic and social situation of the countries of origin and the host countries, particularly with regard to the upsurge in unemployment.
These flows must be managed using reliable statistical data obtained by establishing common criteria for identifying and enumerating migrants.
13. The Assembly therefore invites OECD:
a. to co-operate very closely with the Council of Europe with the common aim of defining identification criteria and data gathering methods that would provide comparable statistics;
b. to speed up the admission of east European countries to the Continuous Reporting System (SOPEMI) which provides highly detailed information on international migration trends in the member states of OECD;
c. to give more detailed consideration to the integration of migrants in host societies, in the light of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1206 (1993) on the integration of migrants and community relations;
d. to study the problems arising from clandestine migration, taking into account, in particular, Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1211 (1993) on clandestine migration: traffickers and employers of clandestine migrants;
e. to develop its research activities, namely concerning causes, consequences and measures to be taken in the long term in the fields of politics, demography, economy and ecology and to make the results available to the relevant bodies of the Council of Europe;
f. to re-inforce cooperation in general with the Council of Europe in the field of migration and demography.
Reporting committee: Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (Doc. 6900).
Committee for opinion: Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography (and competent committees).
Reference to committee: Doc. 6897 and Reference No. 1893 of 3 September 1993.
Draft opinion approved by the committee on 9 September 1992.
Secretaries to the committee: Mr Newman and Ms Nollinger.