Managing the international recruitment of health workers and teachers: Do the commonwealth agreements provide an answer?

The international recruitment by countries of the developed world of health workers and teachers from developing countries has become a controversial aspect of the problem of 'brain drain'. This article, based on research commissioned by the UK's Department for International Development, examines the impact of such international migration, focusing on the recruitment of health workers and teachers within the Commonwealth. It further examines the part played by the Commonwealth as an international organization of sovereign states to manage such recruitment through agreed protocols. It is concluded that the Commonwealth Agreements have made a significant contribution to consensus management of the phenomenon, but that it remains a complex and politically fraught issue. More research is recommended to acquire hard data for the guidance of policy.