The new website serves as a point of reference and exchange, designed for NGOs, faith-based and labour organisations, policy-makers, scholars, international institutions and others who emphasise the importance of pursuing practical, rights-based programmes and policies that embrace the full dignity of the human being within migration and development processes.

MigrationAndDevelopment.net< provides a collective means through which the work of civil society in promoting rights-based policies may be strengthened, and the leadership role of faith-based and civil society actors increased within related processes.

The site, notes ICMC Secretary General, Johan Ketelers, "responds to both the need for a fuller understanding of development and its relationship with migration, and the need to bring together the expertise of faith-based organisations and civil society actors currently engaged in the area of migration and development for strengthened partnership, collaboration and impact in regional and international processes. Civil society organisations should see the launch of MigrationAndDevelopment.net< as a tremendous opportunity to learn from one another, and are strongly encouraged to share their expertise through the site".

In addition to an easily navigable directory of actors involved in migration and development issues and a listing of related events (regional and international) and established legal frameworks (regional and international) for easy reference, MigrationAndDevelopment.net <features:

• policy statements and position papers
• research studies and publications
• good practice examples
• field experiences
• migrant perspectives
• press releases
• events
• conference documents

MigrationAndDevelopment.net< is managed and administered in a partnership between ICMC and Misereor<, and has its own unique identity and mandate as a community point of reference for civil society organisations working within the field of migration and development, as well as those interested in civil society perspectives more broadly.

For more information on the website project and to submit policy statements, press releases, field studies, conference documents, photos etc. for consideration, please contact submissions@MigrationAndDevelopment.net<.