"We, Ministers and Heads of delegations of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), having met on 9 and 10 February 2006 in Cotonou, at the Ministerial Conference of the Least Developed Countries on Migrants' Remittances;

Urge Governments of host countries to consider introducing tax relief for remittances similar to tax incentives provided for investment funds and charitable donations"

• 26 Sept 2007: The Labour Party Conference, Bournemouth International Centre – Foreign Policy Centre fringe event.
• 24-25 Sept 2007: Paper on 'Social Marketing Framework for Evaluating Academic and Public Sector Institutions' at Keble College, University of Oxford – Annual National Social Marketing Conference.
• 20-22 Sept 2007: Paper on 'Building bridges or barriers? Exploring the dynamics between migration and development' at Costa de Caparica, Portugal – Fifth Caritas Europa Migration.
• 25-26 July 2007: Paper on 'Role of Money Service Businesses in Fight Against Terrorist Finance' (after introduction by Home Office Minister Tony McNulty) at Royal United Services Institute for Defence and security Studies (RUSI) – Conference on The War on Terrorist Financing: Forging an Effective International Architecture.
• 2 July 2007: Briefing of Rt. Hon Lord Kinnock, Chairman of British Council, Former EU Commissioner & Former Labour Party Leader (UK) on RemitAid™ policy strategy in the UK and EU at the launch of book on African leadership (Under the Tree of Talking) edited by Onyekachi Wambu of AFFORD; House of Lords, Westminster.
• 27 June 2007: Technical briefing of DFID Minister Gareth (prior to Gordon Brown's announcement on new government) about using public policy to mitigate the structural imperfections and negative impacts of remittances; London.
• 9 June 2007: Panel debate with DFID Minister Gareth Thomas at the 2007 'Robin Cook Memorial Conference on Shaping Our Global World'. Other panellist were Assembly Member Murad Qureshi – Greater London Authority and Columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown – Independent & Evening Standard newspapers; Westminster Central Hall.
• 24 May 2007: Paper on 'Enhancing the Role Diasporas play in African Development' at University of Wales, Cardiff. Other speakers were: Prof Alan Thomas – CDS, Swansea University; Steve Kibble – Progressio; Huw Charles – Welsh Assembly Government; Admos Chimhowu – IDPM, University of Manchester; Andy Leather – King's College Hospital THET; Eid Ahmed – Somaliland Societies in Europe; Alison Brown – Cardiff University.
• 10 May 2007: Prepared briefing notes and arranged for RemitAid™'s parliamentary champion Martin Linton MP to speak at 'UKMTA Conference on International Money Transfer in a Changing World: New Laws and more Competition'; The Law Society, London.
• 2 May 2007: Participated and gave RemitAid™ briefings at the 'Conference on Africa after the Africa Commission' at The Law Society, London – organised by Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
• 28 April 2007: Paper on 'Why Migrants' Remittances Deserve Tax Relief' at Queen Mary University, London. Other speakers included Prof Yves Cabannes – University College London, Prof Jane Wills – QMUL; and Lauren Leimbach – Community Financial Resources (USA).
• 18-20 April 2007: Worthing: Presented paper on 'The Role of the Unregulated Sector: What are the Risks and How Can They Be Minimised?' at the 'Wilton Park Conference on Combating Financing of Terrorism'. Other speakers included: Frank Swedlove – President of FATF; Richard Barrett – UN Al Qaida & Taliban Monitoring; Elizabeth Joyce – UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate; Neil Bennett – Intelligence Co-ordinator of Scotland Yard's NTFIU; Abdeljebban Azzaoui – Director of Morrocan Counter Intelligence; Sean Bryne – HM Treasury; Prof Michael Levi – University of Cardiff; and David Artingstall – UK financial Services Authority.
• 4 April 2007: Launched 'Homecoming for Jobs Documentary', at Chatham House, London. Discussed the AFFORD/VSO programme 'Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa (SEEDA)'.
• 28 Feb 2007: Conducted GFMD consultation on 'Remittances and Other Diaspora Resources: Increasing their Volume and Development Value' with refugee, Latin American and African groups on behalf of BOND, Connections for Development (CfD) and AFFORD; London.
• 15 Feb 2007: RemitAid™ briefings at launch of 'Ghana Sending Money Home Leaflet', Ghana High Commission, London.
• 7 Feb 2007: RemitAid™ briefings at 'Book Launch of Autobiography of Nobel Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai (her status as RemitAid™ patron to be confirmed); London.
• 31 Jan 2007: Panellist at the 'Berlin Conference on Migration and Development', Berlin, Germany. Discussed practical ways for European governments to participate in Diaspora-Public-Private-Partnerships. Other speakers included: Ndioro Ndiaye – IOM; Dr Wolfgang Shauble – German Federal Minister of Interior; Prof Nobert Walter – Deutsche Bank Chief Economist; Ibrahim Awad – Director of International Migration Programme (ILO); Wolfgang Fenkart-Froschl – CEO of Western Union International Bank; Dr Michael Griesbeck – German Federal Office for Migration & Refugees; Cornelia Richter – German Society for Technical Cooperation; Prof Rita Sussmuth – Former President of the German Parliament.
• 30 Jan 2007: RemitAid™ briefings at 'Foreign Policy Centre Annual Reception', Whitehall, London, hosted by The Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett – Secretary of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
• 24 Jan 2007: RemitAid™ consultation and briefings at the conference on 'Making EU Enlargement Work', Westminster, London – organised by the Fabian Society and speakers included: The Rt.Hon. Geoff Hoon – Minister for Europe; Liam Byrne MP – Home Office Minister; Gary Titley MEP – Leader of Labour Party at the EU.

• 15 Dec 2006: SEEDA & RemitAid™ consultation and briefings with Africa diaspora at 'AFFORD Reception' at London Bridge, London.
• 6 Dec 2006: RemitAid™ briefings at 'Royal Society of Arts Reception', Buckingham Palace Gallery, London. The reception was hosted by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh – President of the RSA.
• 30 Nov-2 Dec 2006: Paper and workshop on 'The Impact of Remittances: Does Gain Outweigh Brain-Drain' at Wilton Park, Worthing. Other speakers included: Regine de Clercq – Belgian Ambassador on Migration Policy; Jeff Crisp – UNCHCR/GCIM; John Page – World Bank Chief Economist (Africa); Prof Richard Black – University of Sussex; Ferrucio Pastore – CeSPI (Rome); Takyiwaa Manuh – University of Ghana; Catherine Wihtol de Wenden – CERI (Paris); and Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez – Mexican Foreign Ministry.
• 15-17 Nov 2006: Panellist at the 'European Development Days – Roundtable on Migration and Governance', Brussels, Belgium. Other panellists were Prof Rita Sussmuth – GCIM; Jonathan Faull – EU Justice, Liberty & Security Director-General; Aminata Troare – Essayist; Ndioro Ndiaye – IOM; and the session was chaired by Colin Manchip – Euroasylum.
• 13-14 Nov 2006: RemitAid™ consultations and lobby meetings at the 'World Bank Second International Conference on Migrant Remittances' on, County Hall, London. Speakers included: Manuel Orozco, Dilip Ratha, and Raul Hernandez-Coss from the World Bank; Donald Terry – IADB; Mark Lowcock – DFID; Maria Concepcion Patino – Mexican Finance Ministry; and Jack Jared – Citigroup.
• 11 Nov 2006: Paper on Mitigating the Structural Imperfections and Negative Impacts of Remittances', University of Reading, Whiteknights Campus – organised by Development Studies Association (DSA). The keynote speaker was Abdoulie Janneh – Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
• 3 Oct 2006: Presentation at the 'African Diaspora Leadership Forum & African Monitor Launch', Glaziers Hall, London – organised by Centre for African Policy & Peace Strategy (CAPPS) and the South African-based Africa Monitor. The event was chaired by The Archbishop of Cape Town – The Most Reverend Njongokulu Ndungane.
• 17 Oct 2006: Presentation at the 'UKMTA International Money Transfer & Remittances Summit', City Hall, London. Other presenters were Ken Livingstone – Mayor of London, and Dominic Thorncroft – Chairman of UK Money Transmitters Association (UKMTA).
• 30 Oct 2006: RemitAid™ consultations and briefings at the 'Global Consumer Money Transfers Conference' on, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, London – organised by International Association of Money Transfer Networks (IAMTN). Speakers included Lady Olga Maitland and Rt Hon Lord Lamont of Lerwick.
• 8-10 August 2006: Paper on 'Diaspora Engagement in Public Private Partnerships for Socio-Economic Development – The RemitAid™ Case Study', Dakar, Senegal. Conference organised by (IOM) and African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). Other speakers included Madame Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director of IOM and former Minister in Senegal, and Dr Soumana Sako, Director of ACBF and former Malian Prime Minister.
• 30 June - 1 July 2006: Hosted 'AFFORD's Fifth Annual Africa Diaspora & Development Day' Royal Horticultural Society Halls, London. Participants included 350 diaspora professionals and visiting Commonwealth Fellows.
• 12-14 July 2006: Presentation proposing a new definition and classification of the African Diaspora at 'Conference of African Intellectuals and the Diaspora (CIAD II)', Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. RemitAid™ briefings and lobby of leading African decision makers, including executive staff of the five African presidents who attended; Commissioners and staff of the African Union; highest ranking African officials from the United Nations and other international bodies; leading academics in African and American universities, etc. CIAD was organised by the Brazilian Government, African Union and UNESCO.
• 23 June 2006: Led a UN High Level Dialogue consultation with diaspora, migrant and refugee groups in the London Borough of Southwark.
• June 2006: Made RemitAid™ policy presentations in camera to officials from Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT), Department for International Development (DFID); Whitehall, London.
• June 2006: Started independent 'Impact Evaluation' of the work of University of Oxford's Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS). Work to be undertaken in conjunction with Professor Steven Vertovec, Director of COMPAS.
• 10 May 2006: Presented an updated study on 'The Conceptual and Practical Causes of Bad Governance and Undemocratic Practices'. Talk was part of the spring lecture programme organised by the Royal African Society, SOAS, University of London.
• 1 April 2006: Hosted 'AFFORD's Neighbourhood Renewal in our Global Village Conference'. Led advocacy master class on 'How London is Run' and consultation workshop on RemitAid™. Keynote speaker was Ambassador Aicha Belarbi, Commissioner on the UN Secretary General's Global Commission for International Migration (GCIM); Glaziers Hall, London.
• 23 March 2006: Led 'Economist Magazine Debate on Free Trade and Poverty Reduction' – organised as part of Westminster Fringe Debates by The Economist Magazine and the Stockholm Network; Westminster, London.
• 8-10 Feb 2006: Part of expert team at the 'UN's First Ministerial Conference of Least Developed Countries on Migrants' Remittances'. Presented paper on 'Home Town Associations, Diaspora Remittances, Remittance Tax Relief (RTR) and RemitAid™'. Lobbied LDC finance ministers, central bank governors and senior executives from regional and international financial institutions. Proposed a resolution of RTR which was adopted and incorporated in the Ministerial Declaration. Conference was organised by UN and IOM as part of the United Nations High Level Dialogue on International Migration. The conference was co-chaired Anwarul Chowdrey, Under Secretary-General and High Representative of UN-OHRLLS, and Madame Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director of IOM and former Minister in Senegal; Cotonou, Benin:.
• 13-14 Jan 06: 'African Civil Society Consultation on Engagement with the African Union'. Participated as an expert on Diaspora contributions to development. Briefed and consulted about 100 leaders of African and international civil society organisations about RemitAid™ and raised awareness about the policy proposal amongst influential activists from all parts of Africa. Event organised by CREDO and FEMNET; Nairobi, Kenya