ABSTRACT
All civilized states have a collective, as well as an individual, stake in maintaining international stability as well as peace and promoting economic progress. Orderliness and predictability of human mobility are among the essential conditions for achieving these goals, and they constitute a 'common good' that can underpin a global agreement on migration, fully in keeping with the tenets of regime theories. It is important to remember, however, that some of the policy or practical measures taken during a crisis could have long-term effects on the future configuration of migration. The recession has no doubt signalled some fledgling but ominous signs of anti-immigrant and restrictionist trends in both rich and poor countries and regions. This might imply a shift further away from international cooperation. Attempts to build inter-state cooperation on migration within a global framework are not new. Increased South to South migration run alongside expansion of trade and economic links among countries in the South.
