This site is not updated. It is my privilege to participate in this International Symposium on Migration. On behalf of our Secretary of State, Madelene Albright, I want to congratulate everyone for attending this important conference. I want to particularly thank the Royal Thai Government and Foreign Minister Surin for the initiative, the vision and the determination, which made the symposium possible.
Migration is a phenomenon as old as humankind.
But in a dynamic region such as Asia and the Pacific Basin, migration today brings both opportunities and challenges for governments. The opportunities and the challenges are often viewed separately, when in fact they are inextricably connected. Throughout history, countries at various stages of development have needed more workers or workers with certain skills. At the same time, people with special skills and a desire for higher wages have looked across the rivers or across the seas for employment. Often these workers send money back to their families and eventually return to their native land.