AS PART OF the preparations for the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development, an expert group meeting was convened in Bolivia in 1993 on the subject of population distribution and migration. This volume contains the report and recommendations of the meeting, and the papers that were presented there.

The introduction notes that, whilst concern about migration and its causes and consequences has grown significantly in recent years, knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon is limited. Attention tends to focus on rural to urban migration but the available evidence suggests that this accounts for a relatively low proportion of all migration flows. Another concern driving the debate on migration is that of high-income countries and the implications of international refugee flows from South to North. But internal migration tends to account for far larger numbers of people, and most international migrants remain in countries of the South.

The recommendations of the expert group are based on a recognition that mobility is most often a rational response to interregional differences in opportunity. Given that such free movement is essential to productive economies, the priority should not be to transform these trends but, rather, to attempt to meet the needs of people where they establish themselves. At the same time, it is acknowledged that this can present enormous challenges to governments, and the recommendations outline strategies to address these issues. Governments are also urged by this group to cooperate in addressing the environmental degradation, natural disasters and armed conflict which can trigger forced migration, and to participate in programmes to resettle such refugees. The lack of understanding of the issue is also recognized, and governments are urged to give greater priority to data collection and research.

The 26 papers submitted at this meeting cover a range of concerns, including patterns of population distribution and the social, environmental and political implications of both internal and international migration. The papers include discussion notes by a number of international organizations and UN agencies. A large number of tables and figures help to clarify the text.