The Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank in collaboration with the International Migration Policy Programme (IMP) organized an International Conference on Migrant Remittances: Development Impact, Opportunities for the Financial Sector and Future Prospects, on 9-10 October 2003, in London, United Kingdom.

It was the first global meeting of its type on this topic and attracted over 100 participants from 42 countries. They included representatives of banks and non-bank financial institutions, government policy makers, multilateral and bilateral donors, United Nations and other international agencies, non-governmental organizations, academics and consultants.

The objectives of the Conference were:

• To bring together leading donors, government officials, banks, NGOs and other agencies to understand the key issues and challenges relating to remittances.
• To identify best practice from regional and country initiatives that have improved the regulatory and institutional framework for remittances, improved financial technology and cost efficiency of banks, and facilitated access for recipients to other, complementary financial services
• To define collaborative strategies between agencies to enhance transparency and accountability and to strengthen the effectiveness and development impact of remittances

Major themes of the conference were:

• Understanding the developmental role of remittances
• Improving industry efficiency
• Enhancing transparency and accountability

Full Conference Note (Word)

				Conference Papers
				Final Conference Report: (Word) (includes Agenda and Participant List)
				Materials below were commissioned for the conference.
				Papers
				Migrants as Agents of Development: Albanian return migrants and micro-enterprise (Beryl Nicholson / 2004 in D. Pop, Ed. New Patterns of Labour Migration in Central and Eastern Europe / Cluj Napoca, Romania: AMM Editura:94-110). (PDF) NEW
				From Migrant to Micro-entrepreneur: Do-it-yourself Development in Albania. (Beryl Nicholson / 2001 / South-East Europe Review 4(3):39-41) (PDF) NEW
				Remittances: The New Development Finance? (PDF) 1MB
				Background paper (Word)
				Remittances Scoping Study (PDF) 1MB
				Capturing a Market Share? (PDF)
				Impact on Poverty (Word)
				Remittances: The New Development Mantra (PDF)
				Case Studies
				National Survey on Family Remittances (PDF) (PDF in Spanish)
				Passing the Buck -Kenya (PDF) 1.2 MB
				Passing the Buck -Tanzania and Uganda (PDF) 1.9 MB
				Albanian Economy in Transition (Word)
				Developmental Role -Central Americans in the USA (Word)
				Speeches
				Speech by Cesare Calari -Vice President, Financial Sector, World Bank (Word)
				Presentations
				Integration of Financial Sector Services (PPT)
				Integration and Policy Opportunities (PPT)
				Regulation and Supervision in the Somali Context (PPT)
				Characteristic and Development Perspective -Presentation (PPT)
				Reducing Obstacles to Developmental Contributions (PPT)
				Socio-Economic Impact on Poverty- Presentation (PPT)
				Workers’ Remittances: An Important and Stable Sourceof Development Finance (PPT)

		Comments:

Send your insights, experiences and views on remittances and migration to the Post-it Board by email to:
livelihoods-connect@ids.ac.uk

Please mention your name, tel, fax, and institutional affiliation in your contribution and give it a short title. If you wish to comment on an existing item or theme please also mention its title in your contribution. If you think there should be a new theme, tell us.