On 22 August 2023, a roundtable discussion on "The Role of the Diaspora in Combating Human Trafficking" was organized by the Public Union "Clean World" and the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Anar Iskandarov, the representative of the IOM Azerbaijan, participated in the event and shared information about the organization's efforts in combating human trafficking. He emphasized the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and communities, in utilizing the potential of diasporas to combat human trafficking.

During his speech, he highlighted the close cooperation between IOM and the Azerbaijani government in developing comprehensive initiatives for prevention, victim protection, prosecution of traffickers, and partnerships. IOM provides technical and financial support to civil society organizations working to assist potential and actual victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and forced labor in Azerbaijan. IOM also focuses on raising public awareness about human trafficking and enhancing the knowledge and skills of professionals in this field.

The objective of these initiatives is to achieve Objective 10 (Prevent, combat, and eliminate trafficking in persons in the context of international migration) of the Global Compact. This objective entails stakeholders committing to implementing legislative or other measures to prevent, combat, and eliminate trafficking in persons within the context of international migration by strengthening capacities and international cooperation to investigate, prosecute, and penalize trafficking in persons, discouraging demand that fosters exploitation leading to trafficking, and ending impunity of trafficking networks. 

These initiatives also directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially three targets under three goals: 5 (Gender Equality), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 16 (Peace Justice and Strong Institutions where trafficking in persons is specifically mentioned.

The event brought together members of the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora, the Main Department on combating trafficking of human beings under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations, civil society organizations involved in the combat of human trafficking, and representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora communities abroad. They discussed the potential contributions they can make to combat human trafficking.