Inter-governmental and international organisations

The research in this project critically analyses the on-going configuration of global and regional migration regimes within the framework of multilevel global governance. The main objective is to survey international institutional arrangements for core labor standards and migrant workers? rights and to explore their significance for migration management within the 'asymmetric' global governance, as well as their impact on the current trajectory of global and regional political economies. Various studies within the project trace the development of a 'social dimension' of globalization and the articulation of an inclusive, human rights-based policy approach to migration management. The focus is on the ILO?s reformulation of social justice goals in terms of 'decent work' for all workers, including especially those working in the informal economy. The identification of the main multinational, state and non-state actors, their discourses and strategies for the promotion of global social justice, in particular the role of the EU is examined. Since 2010 participants in this project have followed and analysed the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration, related Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and the role of global civil society actors in this process, leading to MIGLINK, a collaborative research project with Ankara University (Turkey) and University of Zacatecas Mexico).

The research project addresses the EU's regional approach to support countries in the Western Balkans in their progress towards EU membership. It focuses on the social reconstruction in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia and the regional dialogue on social and employment policies within the Bucharest process. The study investigates local and national trade unions strategies to challenge downward pressure on labour rights and standards brought about by the implementation of a neoliberal model of reconstruction. It analyses the counter-influence of European social dimension as well as practices of the international organizations such as the UNDP, ILO and International Trade Unions Confederation (ITUC) and civil society organizations on the development of 'transethnic' regional solidarities. It also examines the forms of labour collaboration necessary to counterbalance hostile employers and governments. The main question concerns the efficacy of EU support for social dialogue and the implementation of the ILO 'decent work agenda' in empowering trade unions in their struggle for labour rights and standards in post-conflict former Yugoslavia. The issue is especially pertinent considering the wider study of post-conflict societies, marked by social fragmentation, ethnic divisions, political clientelism, poverty, informal economy and migration pressures.

he KNOMAD-ILO Migration Costs Surveys (MCS) aim to systematically document monetary and non-monetary costs incurred by migrant workers seeking jobs abroad. The project is a joint initiative by the Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD), which is hosted at the World Bank, and the International Labor Organization (ILO). The data is also intended to support methodological work on developing a new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator 10.7.1 to monitor trends in recruitment costs paid by workers, of which the World Bank and ILO are joint custodians. Datasets and documentation for the 2015 and 2016 survey waves are now available on the World Bank’s Central Microdata Catalog. Collectively, the surveys covered over 19 bilateral migration corridors with a total of 5,603 interviewed migrants. The Migration Costs Surveys primarily focused on costs incurred by workers who were recruited in their home countries and received a job offer prior to migrating. On a pilot basis, several migration corridors were also surveyed to account for non-recruited migrants who moved abroad in search of work without prior job offers. In the 2015 dataset, these are limited to workers who migrated to Mexico from Guatemala, Honduras and El-Salvador and in 2016, the relevant corridors are workers who migrated to Italy from multiple African countries and from Central Asia to Russia.

The long-standing US-EU partnership and dominance of a range of international institutions (IMF, World Bank, Security Council, etc.) is rapidly breaking down under the impact of shifting interdependencies and power relationships. In this sense, global economic governance is at a crucial crossroads. If a more complex and multi-polar world is now emerging, interwoven with bilateral agreements and a proliferation of regional efforts of uncertain outcome and dimensions, it is unclear how co-operation will be organised in the future and by whom. Global economic governance is riddled with worrisome uncertainties, yet this offers clear opportunities for an alliance between scholars pushing the bounds in terms of analysis, and EU policy entrepreneurs in terms of action. Europe must play a major part in the reform and reinforcement of global governance mechanisms, but in order to do so the EU requires a clear definition of its self-interest, a correspondingly clear sense of purpose and objectives, and the internal coherence and institutional capacity to exercise leadership. Now is the time for Europe to project a vision of how the global system should evolve, and to act. The project begins with five research domains: i) macroeconomic adjustment and governance; ii) the integration of markets for finance and investment; iii) the integration of markets for trade in goods and services; iv) migration and the mobility of labour; v) environmental governance. hese are questions where a combined analysis by political scientists and economists is necessary if workable and real-world policy solutions are to be developed and prevail. Ultimately, the legitimacy of global governance depends on input and representation in the decision-making process of global governance, and on the output or policy outcome in terms of growth, distribution, and compensation for the losers.

Ukraine plays a strategic role in facilitating East-West transport connections, the country’s strategic road network. It however, cannot handle the increasing traffic load due to insufficient technical parameters. The overall objective of the INCRIS coordinating action is to ensure that the cooperation capacities of Ukraine’s leading road research centre, the Shulgin State Road Research Institute (DNDI) are reinforced in order for it to foster its integration into the European Research Area and this improve road infrastructure in Ukraine through joint research. The project aims to establish strategic partnerships between DNDI and EU road research centres in order to facilitate knowledge sharing. The project will help DNDI to develop partnerships and set up joint research programmes through networking. It also aims to strengthen the ability of Ukrainian researchers to take part in future FP7 funded research projects through training on project management accompanied by secondment of DNDI staff at the Brussels office of the Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories. The sharing and dissemination of knowledge between DNDI and research institutes in member states will be facilitated by setting up a bilingual website, translating scientific results of DNDI into English and disseminating them through various channels. A bilingual project brochure will also be produced and participation of DNDI researchers in international conferences in the partner countries will be supported. The project will also assist in building a research strategy for DNDI in order to increase its scope and regional coverage in Ukraine as well as to improve its responses to the socio-economic needs of the country. Eventually, the project will contribute to improve transport infrastructure in Ukraine through enabling researchers to find the best solutions, locally initiated or an adaption of existing know-how while taking the principle of sustainability into account.

Der erhöhte Zustrom Geflüchteter und anderer Migrantinnen und Migranten nach Europa in 2015 hat zu erneuten Bemühungen für eine gemeinsame EU-Afrika-Agenda geführt, die sich mit Herausforderungen der Migration befasst. Zahlreiche Treffen, Veranstaltungen und Gipfel wurden (zumindest teilweise) diesem Zweck gewidmet, wie beispielsweise der Valetta-Gipfel in 2015, der G20-Gipfel in Hamburg 2017 und der EU-Afrika-Gipfel in Abidjan in November 2017. Viele bilaterale, regionale und kontinentale Afro-Europäische Rahmenregelungen und Richtlinien gingen diesen politischen Versammlungen voraus und mit ihnen einher. Dennoch funktioniert die aktuelle Herangehensweise – auch durch die EU-Partnerschaftsabkommen – nicht. Der 2018 MEDAM Assessment Report argumentiert, dass die EU-Länder stärker mit afrikanischen Staaten kooperieren sollten. Die Regierungen dieser Staaten werden eher bereit sein, ihre Staatsbürgerinnen und Staatsbürger nach einem abgelehnten Asylantrag in der EU zurückzunehmen, wenn legale Arbeitsmigration eine realistische Alternative darstellt. Eine aktive Auseinandersetzung zwischen afrikanischen und europäischen Ländern fehlt jedoch weiterhin. Kritikerinnen und Kritiker beanstanden einerseits die Tendenz, dass die Migrationszusammenarbeit europäische Interessen in den Vordergrund stellt, die Inkohärenz in der EU-Politikgestaltung und die ausgrenzende Art vieler Gipfel und Veranstaltungen. Andererseits werden afrikanische Regierungen für fehlendes Engagement in der Migrationsgovernance kritisiert. Ein wesentliches Problem ist, wie wenig bezüglich der Interessen, Beteiligung und Akteure bekannt ist, wenn es um die Steuerung von Migration geht – einschließlich Auswanderung (reguläre und irreguläre), Einwanderung und den Umgang mit vertriebenen Menschen. Das Projekt „Die Politische Ökonomie der Westafrikanischen Migrationsgovernance“ will die politischen Dimensionen von Migrationsgovernance und die zahlreichen Akteure (einschließlich zivilgesellschaftliche und subnationale) beleuchten. Dazu untersucht das Projekt wie die Instrumente und Institutionen zur Migrationssteuerung erstellt und implementiert werden, welche Interessen und Akteure einbezogen oder ausgeschlossen sind und welcher gesellschaftlichen Diskurs diese Interessen umgibt. Die qualitative Studie konzentriert sich auf vier Fallstudien – Gambia, Niger, Nigeria und Senegal – und basiert auf Feldforschung, einschließlich halbstrukturierter Interviews in den betreffenden Ländern. Das Projekt ist von Anfang an partizipativ und somit wird eine Veranstaltungsreihe stattfinden, um unsere Ergebnisse mit lokalen Experten in Abuja, Banjul, Dakar und Niamey zu diskutieren. Darüber hinaus wird es einen Abschlussworkshop geben, um die Forschungsergebnisse mit Wissenschaftlern und zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteuren aus allen vier WAMIG-Ländern vergleichend zu diskutieren. Dies geschieht in Accra in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Centre for Migration Studies. Weitere Informationen zu diesen Veranstaltungen finden Sie hier. Das Projekt „Die Politische Ökonomie von Westafrikanischer Migrationsgovernance“ wird durch die Stiftung Mercator finanziert und im Rahmen des Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) durchgeführt. MEDAM ist ein dreijähriges Forschungs- und Beratungsprojekt, das Herausforderungen identifiziert und Handlungsstrategien zur Asyl- und Migrationspolitik der EU und ihrer Mitgliedsstaaten erarbeitet.

Global matrices of bilateral migrant stocks spanning the period 1960-2000, disaggregated by gender and based primarily on the foreign-born concept are presented. Over one thousand census and population register records are combined to construct decennial matrices corresponding to the last five completed census rounds. The first database has been expanded in order to include the results of the 2010 census. Citation: Global Bilateral Migration Database, World Bank Group and Ç. Özden, C. Parsons, M. Schiff and T. L. Walmsley (2011) 'Where on Earth is Everybody? The Evolution of Global Bilateral Migration, 1960-2000', World Bank Economic Review 25(1):12-56

The catalog provides open and free access to data collected through the Migration and Remittances Household Surveys implemented under the Africa Migration Project. The project was undertaken jointly by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank. It seeks to improve our understanding of migration and remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa, including their magnitude, causes, and impacts on poverty reduction, with a view to generating informed policy recommendations. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity of policy makers, researchers, financial institutions and donor agencies in Africa to enhance the development impact of migration and remittances in Africa. Through research, a survey, analysis and consultation, the project has generated the first comprehensive body of information on migration and remittances in Africa. The project has received financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Department of International Development (DFID), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, French Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Development Partnership, and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

Transmits a summary of the report of the UN Investigation Team for Afghanistan into allegations of serious violations of international human rights or humanitarian law, submitted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report was prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 52/211 B, statement by the President of the Security Council (S/PRST/1997/55) and Council resolution 1193 (1998).

Reviews comments received from Governments and international and non-governmental organizations in response to a letter from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights seeking views and information on the protection of human rights while countering terrorism. Provides an overview of rights that have come under significant pressure worldwide as a result of counter-terrorism measures, including the rights to life and to freedom from torture, due process rights and the right to seek asylum.

MIGLINK is a Swedish-Mexican-Turkish Research Links consortium specialised on migration and development. MIGLINK aims to examine the development of an incipient global governance framework for migration with a focus on the role of civil society. GFMD, initiated at the UN global dialogue High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in 2006, is the most inclusive state-led forum between governments on developing policies for international migration. Since its inception, so-called "Civil Society Days" were organized as a side event to the GFMD meetings. The consortium follows preparation, agenda2012) setting, debates and outcomes of upcoming GFMD meetings among to contextualise them in historical and geographical perspective, aiming to identify the role of civil society in global policy making through the GFMD. This is matched by examination of the parallel development of a global movement of civil society in fora outside the formal framework of the GFMD and the formation of alternative agendas for global governance on migration. The consortium links interdisciplinary knowledge on the historical development of global governance on migration with a focus on conditions for sustainable development, poverty reduction, global labour and human rights. Dr. Stefan Rother, South Asian Studies at Freiburg University, with a long standing research trajectory in the subject area, joined the project in 2015.

The project 'STI International Cooperation Network for EaP Countries Plus (EaP PLUS)' aims to stimulate cooperation between researchers from the EaP countries and EU MS and enhance the active participation of the Eastern Partnership countries in Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. Building on the results of the predecessor FP7 project 'IncoNet EaP', the project will eliminate remaining obstacles to EU-EaP STI cooperation through a number of innovative and targeted actions: (a) strategic priority setting through supporting EU-EaP policy dialogue and through maximizing the impact of the association to Horizon 2020; (b) stronger interaction between researchers & participation in H2020, i.e. Info days, cooperation with scientific diaspora, and grants for networking; (c) promotion of the research-innovation interface supporting communities of excellence, i.e. co-patenting analyses, clustering schemes, promotion of the technology platforms concept to EaP countries; (d) optimal framework conditions and increasing coordination in policies and programmes through training seminars for STI policymakers, increased coordination and synergies between policies and programmes of EU/MS and EaP, i.e. JPIs, COST, national programmes; (e) communication and outreach through innovative actions

'The EU-LAC-MUSEUMS project directly meets the challenge of fostering EU-CELAC relations by studying the close connections between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the field of community museology. To address this challenge, EU-LAC-MUSEUMS assembles a team of leading academics, museum professionals and policy makers elected by the European and LAC Regional Alliances of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) (www.icom.museum). Together, we are committed to exploring the cultural, scientific and social dimensions of EU-LAC relations with a view to “supporting the process of EU-CELAC cooperation outlined by the EU-CELAC Action Plan 2013-2015 in defining a common vision for the years to come”. Through a series of thematic work packages we will pursue the theme of “Museums and Community: Concepts, Experiences, and Sustainability in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean”. A good deal of research has been carried out into this subject at local, national, and regional levels in both EU and LAC, but a concerted bi-regional investigation is yet to appear. EU-LAC-MUSEUMS will overcome this gap in knowledge by creating parity of esteem and sustainable dialogue and co-operation between academia, museums and communities in each region. It will achieve this goal by pursuing work packages dealing with the cross cutting societal challenges of: a) 'Technology and Innovation for Bi-Regional Integration'; b) 'Museum Education for Social Inclusion and Cohesion'; c) 'Investment and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Museums”, and d) “Exhibiting Migration and Gender”. In so doing, we will push forward the agenda of the EU-CELAC Action Plan in museum practice and theory.'

The proposal includes three studies in the field of international relations. These studies examine the political dimensions of international cooperation in law enforcement. Study 1 explores why states succeed or fail to cooperate against smuggling along a shared border. The goal is to explain why Jordan has cooperated with Israel in combating smugglers of goods and persons, whereas Egypt has been less cooperative. Based on fieldwork in the Israel-Egypt and Israel-Jordan border areas, the study links governments' domestic political concerns to their efforts against smuggling. Study 2 examines the Israeli efforts against intellectual property piracy of American and European goods. Based on fieldwork in Israel, this study explains why Israel's enforcement of intellectual property rights is ineffective. Study 3 examines international cooperation among courts in combating parental child-abduction. This study explains the origin and evolution of the unique international regime that tackles child abduction. The study also explains why many countries have been reluctant to join this regime. The study involves fieldwork in Europe and the United States as well as interviews with judges at international judicial conferences. The three studies advance the analysis of the politics of law enforcement within the field of international relations. These studies also offer important insights for policy.

Following the ceasefire signed in Sri Lanka in 2002 return of international migrants, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons became more of a possibility. The readmission agreement signed between the government of Sri Lanka and the European Commission in June 2004 and the decision of UNDP to extend the TOKTEN programme (Transfer Of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals) to Sri Lanka at the same time means that return will now be encouraged and facilitated by significant international institutions. Return migration has significant potential to encourage economic development of areas to which migrants return. Little is known, however, about the relationship between different types of return and there has been almost no sustained research on the development of the post-return situation of return migrants. Given the existence of conditions likely to encourage return and the necessity to establish durable development, Sri Lanka provides an ideal opportunity to investigate these questions. The fellow will be based at the University of Colombo for the two-year outgoing phase of the project. In depth surveys and interviews will be carried out with the support of students of the department of sociology. The project aims to establish the basis for a longitudinal re search project that can continue to collect data on the development of return migration to Sri Lanka and monitor the sustainability of this movement and the effects of policy interventions.