NEWS

US Rejects Plan to Set Up UN Agency to Tackle Migration Problems.  The United States rejected any plans to set up a specialized agency within the United Nations to tackle the prickly issue of international migration. Yahoo! News, Mar 23, 2005.

Latin American and Caribbean Migrants Send Home $45.8bn.  Migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean sent home $45.8bn last year, 20 percent more than in 2003, according to a report to be published this week.  Financial Times.  By Richard Lapper, March 21, 2005.

Remittances to Latin American and Caribbean Countries Topped $45 Billion in 2004.  IDB reports money sent by migrant workers rose nearly 20 percent over 2003. Latin American and Caribbean workers living abroad sent a record $45.8 billion to their homelands in 2004, up from $38 billion the previous year, the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) said today.  IDB Press Release.  March 22, 2005.

Remittances Improve 2.40% in First 8 Months-Pakistan.  Inflow of worker remittances increased to $2.607 billion, up 2.40 percent or $61 million during first eight months (July-February 2004-05) as compared to corresponding period of last fiscal year.  Dailytimes.com, Pakistan, March 17, 2005. 

Ghanaian Money Remittances Firms Urged to Expand Operations.  Mr. Isaac Osei, Ghana’s Envoy to the UK, has urged Ghanaian money remittances firms operating in the UK to consider venturing into the West African market.  Ghanaweb.com, Ghana, March 17, 2005.

OFW Remittances in January up 15.9 Percent to $723 M.  Overseas Filipino workers sent home $723 million in January, up 15.9 percent from $624 million a year ago, the central bank said.  The Manila Bulletin Online, Philippines, March 15, 2005. 

Mexican Emigrants Send $16bn Home.  Mexican laborers living in the US sent a record $16.6bn (£8.82bn) home last year.  BBC News online, United Kingdom, February 1, 2005. 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Dynamics of Remittance Utilization in Bangladesh.  This paper discusses the impact of remittances on households and the broader community in Bangladesh, the initiatives taken by the government or other actors to enhance the impact of remittances, and the major hindrances, opportunities and possible avenues for the enhancement of the impact of remittances on society as a whole.  International Organization for Migration, by Tom de Bruyn and Umbareen Kuddus, January 2005.

Migrant Remittances and Development Cooperation.  This report presents a framework for making sound decisions on whether, how, and where to proceed with initiatives in the field of remittances. International Peace Research Institute, Oslo Institutt for fredsforskning, By Jørgen Carling, January 2005.

Policies and Practices on Migration and Development in Italy: Lessons to Be Learnt and Suggestions for the EU’s Aeneas Programme.  This paper shows that as more migrants are allowed and facilitated in maintaining and developing their transnational ties with countries of origin, the more they will feel free, accepted and integrated in the destination country. Centro Studi Politica Internazionale , by Andrea Stocchiero, February 2005.

EVENTS
Upcoming:

Remittances and Financial Inclusion: Cross-Regional Perspectives.  The conference’s main objective is to shape a global policy and business perspective where remittances turn into effective tools for worldwide development. The conference aims at closing the private-public gap by exchanging views and best practices, and debate the current policy issues affecting the business. Organized by the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Savings Bank Institute.  Brussels, May 19-20 2005. 

The Second APEC Policy Dialogue - The Role of the Private Sector in Shifting from Informal to Formal Remittance Systems.  This event will discuss the role of the private sector in the remittances industry and the successful ways to strengthen formal sector remittance channels, create incentives for customers, and improve the environment for the provision of cost-effective and accessible remittance services, in order to shift from informal to formal systems.  Organized by the APEC Initiative on Remittance Systems. Bangkok, Thailand, May 26-27,2005.

Caribbean Diasporas, Remittances and Development Conference Series.  The meetings will present the results of new survey research on remittance flows from Canada to the Caribbean, remittance usage in the Caribbean, and the results of a mapping study of Information Communication Technology (ICT) usage by Caribbean Diasporas. Presented by the Multilateral Investment Fund – Canadian Foundation for the Americas. May 30, Toronto - May 31, Montreal, 2005.

EVENTS
Past:

Remittances, Microcredit and Banking the Poor in Developing Countries.  The March 24 roundtable between Banks and Money Transfer Companies discussed how remittances can be used to expand microcredit in developing countries and bring in millions of poor people into the formal financial system. . Organized by the Inter-American Development Bank. NYC, March 24, 2005.

Brazil World Bank CPSS Task Force on General Principles on International Remittances. Brazil, January 25-26, 2005.

International Technical Meeting on Measuring Migrant Remittances.  The purpose of this meeting was to agree on a work program to improve data on migrant remittances in response to emerging data needs relating to international development policy issues. Organized jointly by the Development Data Group of the World Bank and the Statistics Department of the International Monetary Fund, January 24-25, 2005.

Transforming the World: Immigrants, Remittances and Development.  This conference explored the powerful phenomenon of immigrants sending not only money, but a wide range of assistance to those in need in their home countries.  University of California, San Diego, January 21, 2005.

NEWSLETTERS
 

Migrant Remittances.  USAID has released the inaugural issue of this quarterly newsletter offering a forum to share information about migrant remittances.

Migrant Remittances Newsletter.  An AMAP Window on Migrant Remittances—Quarterly Newsletter. The Accelerated Micro Enterprise Advancement Program (AMAP) is funded by the U.S Agency for International Development. 

LINKS

Livelihoods Connect: Remittances and Migration.  A website created by the Institute of Development Studies and the U.K. Department for International Development. 

A Technical Guide to Remittances: The Credit Union Experience.  Discusses the current operating environment for remittances, provides an overview of WOCCU's IRnet service and details how WOCCU has facilitated mass remittance distributions by partnering with money transfer operators.