"We are seeing a number of extraordinary 'firsts' coming together in the Global Forum for Migration and Development July 9th through the 11th", observes Johan Ketelers, Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission, "with great potential benefit for the world."

The top-level international convening indicates growing convergence and consensus on a number of issues. For the first time, migration is being discussed as:

• Positive, for countries of destination as well as origin

• A natural phenomenon of human history, driving and being driven today by globalization

• A reflection not simply of traditional "push-pull" factors, but of the mutual need between migrants and refugees looking for hope and jobs, and receiving countries whose economies and standard of living partially depend on workers from abroad to offset their own ageing populations and low birth rates

• An issue for new transnational cooperation and standards; there is persistent talk of even creating a new world institution for this purpose

• A way to focus on development issues both in countries of origin and destination.

At the Forum, nearly a thousand governmental and civil society leaders worldwide will engage in an unprecedented three days of discussion on international migration and development. The Forum is an inter-ministerial level, ongoing consultative process established to continue in practical ways the attention and momentum generated by the UN General Assembly at its High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development held in New York last September.

"On behalf of the migrants we serve and our members present in almost every country of the world," Mr. Ketelers says, "ICMC will be emphasizing the following key points at the Forum":

• Migrants are human beings with, dignity, rights and obligations as well as talents to offer

• Among the fundamental human rights that are most important in migration are:

1. A right to not migrate, which depends on development and other measures that address the root causes of forced migration
2. A right to migrate for those fleeing persecution and others who have no hope for a life in dignity-including meaningful employment-in their own country
3. A right to family unification

• To reduce the most dangerous and unfair forms of migration-human trafficking and forced migration-governments must not build walls but legal channels that match the reality of mutual need for migration.

• The need to integrate all actors of civil society to bring about the societal and mentality changes migration is inviting us to make.