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Pacific Possible: labour mobility

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Crawford School of Public Policy | Development Policy Centre

Event details

Forum

Date & time

Friday 26 February 2016
9.00am–11.00am

Venue

Barton Theatre, Level 1, JG Crawford Building 132, Lennox Crossing, ANU

Speaker

Axel van Trotsenburg, Vice President, East Asia and Pacific, The World Bank; Jesse Doyle, Labour Migration Specialist, The World Bank; Richard Curtain, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School, ANU and Matthew Dornan, Deputy Director, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School, ANU.

Contacts

Macarena Rojas
6125 7922

Labour mobility has been an important force for economic development in the Pacific region. Both labour-receiving and sending countries depend on migrant workers and remittances. They help fill employment gaps, reduce poverty and support macroeconomic stability. Migrant workers also benefit from gainful employment and higher income. However, opportunities to migrate are both restricted and unevenly distributed across the Pacific. Whilst Tonga and Samoa are amongst the highest per capita recipients of remittances globally, other countries, such as the atoll nations worst affected by climate change, have limited outlets.

What could be possible by 2040 if the potential of labour mobility were to be fully realised? What actions can sending and receiving countries take to make this a reality? The new joint ANU-World Bank report Pacific Possible: Labour Mobility answers these questions. It sets out a road map for a Pacific labour mobility revolution, detailing what both sending and receiving countries need to do. And it quantifies the massive gains that these reforms would bring about for sending countries.

Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific will launch the report. Authors of the background paper will present their findings, followed by a panel discussion.

This paper is part of the Pacific Possible series – researching long-term, transformative opportunities for Pacific Island countries.

This forum is presented by the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.

Updated:  29 March 2024/Responsible Officer:  Crawford Engagement/Page Contact:  CAP Web Team