The Relationship between Migration and Development

The cause and effect relationship between migratory flows and development for both origin and destination countries is often assumed to be obvious, but it involves different realities throughout the world for which consequently there are no universal one-size-fits-all conclusions. For these reasons, in October 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations launched a High-Level Dialogue. This dialogue culminated in a world forum on migration in Brussels in July 2007. The UNDP, among other equally pressing potential topics, has now decided to make the relationship between migration and development the theme for its 2009 annual human development report. Why? What can the EU and Africa, top-level partners for the UNDP and the United Nations system expect from it? 