LERC Participates in a Migration Expert Meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Tuesday 13th October 2009, Beirut, Lebanon
Reported by Basma Abdel Khalek, LERC Project Manager

At the invitation of the Directorate of Emigrants of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, LERC Director Ms. Guita Hourani attended the preparatory meeting for the Third International Forum on Migration and Development that will take place in Athens on November 4-5, 2009. Ms. Hourani was accompanied by LERC project manager Ms. Basma Abdel Khalek. The meeting was attended by high-level officers from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Lebanese Directorate of General Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), the Ministry of Social Affairs, the National Institution for Employment, and the General Directorate of Statistics, among many others.

 

From L to R: Mr. Haitham Jomaa (Directorate of Emigrants), Mr. Saideddine Abaro (UNDP), Mr. Joseph Wehbe and Mr. Yehya Afara (Directorate of General Security), Oct 2009.

In his welcoming note, the Director of the Directorate of Emigrants at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Haitham Jomaa, stated that Lebanon is participating in this Global Forum for the third consecutive year, after Brussels in 2007 and Manila in 2008. Mr. Jomaa added that this meeting was also an occasion for government institutions and the private sector that deal with the issues of migration and development to set up an expert working team to prepare recommendations and to later follow up on the Forum’s proceedings.

LERC Director Ms. Hourani (first right) at the meeting (Oct 2009).

Following Mr. Jomaa’s statement, Ms. Magida Karaki from the Directorate of Emigrants introduced the audience to the main points of focus of the Forum. She firstly exposed the results of the previous forums and then detailed the issues related to migration and development that will be raised in the forthcoming meeting in Athens.

Ms. Karaki giving her presentation (Oct 2009).

The floor was then opened for the attendees to comment and present their interventions in order for the Directorate to synthesize the main challenges that face Lebanon as both a sending and receiving country.

The meeting was closed with the decision to have the attendees become a committee that meets regularly to further discuss the subject