The ILO World Employment Program research agenda on development and migration

The International Labour Organization (ILO) seeks to build consensus for a ‘fair migration agenda’ while linking development goals with the rights of migrant workers across national borders. Since the main drivers of international migration are employment-related, this is a topic of extreme concern for the readers of this special issue. Given the differences between nations and regions – between labor sending and labor receiving countries – promoting such an agenda is complicated, and ILO labor standards apply almost exclusively to workers crossing international borders. Nations aim to provide opportunities for their citizens, and international movement, in the words of an ILO specialist in migration from years ago, remains a second-best option compared to securing decent work at home. The challenge is how to nurture opportunities in countries that lack the resources and capital but have ample numbers looking for remunerative work. This article evaluates an historical example of attention to both development and migration in the 1970s and 1980s. Linking the dynamics of domestic migration, economic growth, and the structure of labor markets in poorer nations, I evaluate two important concepts that stemmed from research of this era: surplus labor and basic human needs. Through review of historical documents, including archival material and a multiplicity of reports, papers, and strategy guidelines, I seek to describe ILO projects and proposals meant to deal, simultaneously, with poverty, migration, and development.