UNITED NATIONS, June 10: Calling for cooperation among governments over the migration issue, a senior UN official said on Friday that it was important for governments to understand that both sending countries and receiving countries stood to benefit from the migration process.

Addressing a press conference, Peter Sutherland, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Migration, and José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the upcoming high-level ministerial dialogue on the issue in September was a part of an attempt to create a framework for a constructive and positive exchange of views.

In his report, the Secretary-General proposed creating a standing forum, which governments could use to explore and compare policy approaches.

Mr Sutherland said he wanted to assure member states that such a forum would not create additional bureaucracy, but instead would provide an opportunity for the sharing of best practices in the field.

Responding to a question about the preliminary reaction from Arab countries to efforts to establish a global dialogue on migration policy, especially assimilation and citizenship for guest workers, Mr Sutherland said he had met representatives from more than 50 governments and had received a universal positive response. US grooming India as ‘junior partner’: Intelligence Report