SAN JOSE, Costa Rica--An enlightening panel discussion, "Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean – Engaging the Private Sector”, is scheduled to take place today, Wednesday, October 11, in a virtual format, according to a press release from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Coordination Office for the Caribbean.
The event will be moderated by Stephanie Dei, Head of Private Sector Partnerships at the IOM. It will feature three distinguished panellists representing the Caribbean Community CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Unit, a private global enterprise (Europe/Caribbean) Olive Strachan Consultancy, and the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce CARICHAM, the release states. Each panellist will contribute their unique perspectives to discussions centred on labour migration, freedom of movement and engaging the private sector in the Caribbean and diaspora in the development of the region.
Migration is a topic of paramount importance in the Caribbean, with various factors such as climate change, political and social instability and inequalities in labour markets influencing the movement of people and the economic development of the region, according to the release.
In a recent CSME Data workshop supported by IOM, CSME Director Leo Titus Preville emphasised the critical importance of monitoring and evaluating the performance of policies designed to support the needs of the labour sector in the single market and economy. He remarked, "Having made the decisions to expand the approved list of skill categories, given how crucial access to the right skill set is for production purposes, it is of utmost importance that there is a robust means of capturing, analysing and interpreting the performance of the free movement of skills and temporary service providers regimes, in particular within the CSME."
During the recent Concordia summit held in New York in September, IOM’s Director General Amy Pope referenced the gaps in the labour market in the Caribbean. She stated, "All across the world and, in particular, in the Caribbean, countries are grappling with significant labour shortages, and we recognise that demographic changes have not aligned people with opportunities." The decision of CARICOM Heads of Government to pursue full Freedom of Movement provides the perfect opportunity to utilise well-managed migration as a strategic tool to deal with this challenge, the release states.
This episode of Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean, a new initiative launched in July 2023 as part of the implementation of IOM’s Strategy on Migration for the Caribbean (https://bit.ly/3Ycqz84), aims to shed light on these critical issues and provide a platform for meaningful conversations, including collaboration with private sector stakeholders who play a pivotal role in shaping migration-related policies and practices. Panellists will also explore strategies for engaging the private sector in addressing migration challenges, promoting inclusive economic growth and supporting the well-being of migrants.
The event is today, Wednesday, October 11, 10:00-11:00am (GMT-04) and the link to the live panel discussion is
https://bit.ly/ConversationMiTC2.
Topic for discussion is: How can the private sector best benefit from and contribute to well-managed migration in the context of full freedom of movement in CARICOM?
As part of the implementation of IOM Strategy on Migration for the Caribbean (2023-2026), IOM launched a new initiative “Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean” in July as a forum for IOM to engage influential Caribbean personalities and a live audience online, in discussions on a range of issues related to the phenomenon of migration within the Caribbean context. In this way, IOM hopes to promote diverse perspectives, stimulate insightful discussions and share our messages in support of the principle that safe, orderly, and regular migration benefits migrants and all of society.
This IOM activity contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth; and 10 – Reduced Inequalities, the release concludes.
