Baku - On 30 September 2019, a roundtable on “Migration processes and protection of migrants' rights in Azerbaijan” jointly organized by the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), State Migration Service, and Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, and with active participation of the UN Resident Coordinator was held in Baku.

Speaking on behalf of the UN and international partners, the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, Ghulam Isaczai, emphasized the importance of such events and spoke about the relevance of migration, migration issues, but also migrations opportunities in the modern world. He said that Global Compact on Safe Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) is the first-ever inter-governmentally negotiated agreement on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions which is deeply rooted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova, Head of State Migration Service Vusal Huseynov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Matin Kerimli spoked at the event and they emphasized the importance of public participation in improving the work on migration issues and migrants Human Rights, and the implementation of flexible mechanisms for achieving development in this area, participation, cooperation and publicity in this process.

Vladimir Gjorgjiev, the Chief of IOM Mission to Azerbaijan made a speech at the roundtable on "International cooperation in the area of promoting and securing the rights of migrants." Mentioning that IOM opened its first office in Azerbaijan in 1996 Gjorgjiev said that since the inauguration of its Baku office IOM within the various projects has collaborated very closely with the Government of Azerbaijan in specific to State Migration Service, Ombudsperson, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, UN agencies, civil society partners and international organizations, to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to protect the rights of migrants, to prevent irregular migration and human trafficking, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

Then Gjorgjiev said the Global Compact for Migration which was approved by 164 nations including Azerbaijan in 2018 became an opportunity to improve the governance on international migration and to address the benefits and challenges associated with today’s migration.

Mentioning that draft Migration Strategy prepared by IOM experts has been already shared with SMS for their endorsement Gjorgjiev said that it contains eight main objectives. “Those objectives are Enhance institutional capacity; Foster migration-related research; Encourage public engagement; Strengthen labour migration management; Develop a strategy on diaspora for development; Enhance structures and mechanisms for an effective integrated border management; Improve return migration standards and Promote non-discrimination, human rights and inclusion,” said he.

He expressed confidence that future succesful cooperation will be able to make Azerbaijan one of the leaders in Migration and Human Rights area.

After speeches there were discussions on the role of civil society in the realization of rights of migrants in Azerbaijan.