Last week, ASE organized a professional development seminar entitled “International Relations and Migration: What Development for Africa?” The seminar was led by Jean-Francis R. Zinsou, former ambassador and representative of Benin to the United Nations and former chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of Least Developed Countries.

Mr. Zinsou began the presentation by contextualizing the phenomenon of migration in Africa, the driving factors of migration, and the difference between voluntary and forced migration. He also highlighted the implications of migration on countries of destination, transit, and origin; namely, he highlighted the importance of the migrant remittances and their potential to foster economic development in origin countries.

Subsequently, Mr. Zinsou discussed his involvement in setting up a Remittances Observatory in Benin as an extension of the International Organization for Migration. He also explained his involvement with the government of Benin in the creation of new policies to enhance the mobility of Africans across the region and continent, and in efforts with financial institutions to channel remittances into concrete development projects. To conclude, the seminar was followed by a Q&A session where students posed a variety of questions about migration and development in Benin and across the continent.