Unlocking human mobility's development potential within the Global South

On 11–12 September 2024, the OECD Development Centre (OECD), MIDEQ, the University of Coventry, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Statistics Sweden (SCB) and the African Union Commission (AUC) co-hosted an international policy conference on “Unlocking Human Mobility’s Development Potential within the Global South.” Bringing together 265 participants from 65 countries, the conference examined the scale, dynamics, and policy implications of South–South migration and displacement, phenomena that remain under-researched, under-funded, and marginal in global policy debates, despite nearly half of migrants from the Global South moving within the South and most forcibly displaced people being hosted by neighbouring developing countries.

Discussions highlighted the inadequacy of rigid migration categories, power asymmetries in knowledge production, and persistent data gaps. Sessions addressed integration, access to justice, transit migration, remittances and diaspora engagement, and the role of development actors. Case studies from Africa, Latin America, and Asia showed that migration in the Global South is often circular, embedded in livelihoods, and shaped by social networks, yet constrained by legal precarity, weak service access, and securitised policy approaches.

Participants called for reframing migration as a development strategy; strengthening South-based research and data systems; mainstreaming migration into national development planning; supporting inclusive labour markets and local governance; improving access to justice; and leveraging both financial and social remittances. Overall, the conference argued for a paradigm shift that places South–South migration at the centre of development agendas, recognising migrants as rights-holders and agents of resilience, growth, and transformation.

The panels for each day were as follows:

Day 1 - 11 September 2024

• What do we know about human mobility in the Global South?
• How can migrants and forcibly displaced persons be better integrated in the Global South?
• How can access to justice for migrants in the Global South contribute to development?

Day 2 - 12 September 2024

• How can transit migration be addressed with a view for local development?
• How can remittances and the role of diasporas in the Global South be leveraged for development in countries of origin?
• What role can development actors play in supporting the positive contribution of migration to development in the Global South

You can download the concept note and a policy brief summarising the main themes and conclusions below.