On 20 April 2022, IOM Azerbaijan and the State Migration Service (SMS) organized consultations titled “The importance of participation of whole-society in the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Azerbaijan” dedicated to the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).

The event began with the official opening session where the participants were welcomed by Mr Vladimir Gjorgjiev, Chief of Mission for IOM Azerbaijan, and Mr Vusal Huseynov, Chief of the State Migration Service.

In his opening remarks, Mr Gjorgjiev highlighted the importance of providing an opportunity to the local civil society organizations to discuss ways of managing migration and find their role in the implementation of GCM. “Migration is a topic that never ends. That is why human mobility and its regulation must be always on the focus of stakeholders and partners,” said Gjorgjiev.

Vusal Huseynov noted that engagement with civil society organizations in the implementation of the GCM is important to make the initiatives on various aspects of migration a real success. He said that the Migrant Council, the Public Council, and the Advisory Board under SMS which gathered representatives of the local NGOs, foreign migrants, and the private sector is a good example of cooperation among the government institutions and society in addressing issues in the field of migration. After opening speeches, the consultations followed with presentations on GCM and the role of civil society organizations in the implementation of GCM delivered by representatives of IOM Mission in Azerbaijan Ms Nargiz Karimova, and Chairman of the Public Council under SMS Mr Azer Allahveranov.

Representatives of the Migrant Council, the Public Council, the Advisory Board under SMS, and the Baku State University also shared their insights on how civil society organizations can contribute to the implementation of GCM in Azerbaijan.

During the consultation, the participants discussed current issues related to migration and exchanged views.