By Lovemore Chazingwa in Kadoma
The concept of mainstreaming migration into development frameworks is one specific approach that has been adopted to tackle human movement as a reality to be managed, a top United Nations official has said.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Zimbabwe Chief of Mission, Mario Malanca made the remarks at the ongoing migration capacity building workshop for parliamentary committees on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services being hosted by the global organisation at Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre (KHCC).
The main objective of the Indaba is to solicit input and support from relevant institutions to assist in the strengthening of migration legislation in Zimbabwe through lobby and advocacy
“One specific approach that has been developed in recent years is the concept of mainstreaming migration into development planning. This method is based on the view that in order for migration not to create only haphazard windfalls for development, the main development tools at the disposal of governments must be put to use to ensure convergence of the dividends of migration.
Malanca added: “Such convergence would make migration dividends both, more visible and raise the prospects for such dividends being put to maximum productivity. There are numerous sectorial programs with close linkages to migration such as those covering social protection, health and financial services into which migration could be mainstreamed, with multiplier benefits.”
The head of mission observed that there is a dearth in the attention to migration on a global scale: “Despite the progress in dialogue and cooperation at global level, migration remains inadequately mainstreamed into development frameworks and broader sectorial policies at the global and local levels.”
The workshop, running under the theme ‘Promoting migration governance in Zimbabwe’, seeks to contribute to the establishment of a migration governance framework, policy, institutional and legislative, in Zimbabwe that supports state actors to manage migration dialogue with non-state actors and in migrant-centred, gender- sensitive, rights based and development oriented manner.
Parliamentarians have a cardinal role to play in promoting respect for human rights, noted Mr. Malanca: “Parliamentarians are ideally placed to bring international human rights standards to the national and community level thus, help ensure that they have real impact on the ground and the adoption of concrete recommendations for the action to enhance respect for human rights at national level.
The workshop was officially opened by Speaker of the House of Assembly Hon. Adv. Jacob Francis Mudenda today.