Issues on Irregular Migration discussed within the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue

On May 1, the VI World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue launched at the Baku Congress Center under the slogan "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security."

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan participated in the opening ceremony of the Forum.

The Forum is organized by the government of Azerbaijan, in partnership with UNESCO, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the World Tourism Organization, and ICESCO. The event is attended by over 700 distinguished guests representing more than 100 countries.

One of the primary topics addressed within the Forum was migration. A panel session titled "Enhancing available and flexible regular migration pathways to address irregular migration: creating the conditions for sustainable development " was held with the joint support of the State Migration Service and the International Organization for Migration.

Vusal Huseynov, Chief of the State Migration Service and Sheref Malkoch, Ombudsman of Turkiye attended the session as the keynote speakers, while Kanako Mabuchi, Director of the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Azerbaijan, Pier M. Rossi-Longhi, Regional Expert on Immigration and Border Management at the International Organization for Migration, Pablo Herrera Fontanals, Head of Agora Diplomatica, Peter Gorgievski, President and CEO of the Global Dialogue Fund, Peter Mousaferiadis, CEO and Founder of Cultural Infusion and Diversity Atlas, and Ramil Iskenderli, Chairman of the Public Council under the State Migration Service joined as the panelists.

During his opening speech at the panel Vusal Huseynov, Chief of the State Migration Service, emphasized the importance of the Forum, expressing his satisfaction that migration issues are addressed as a crucial component of fostering intercultural dialogue and advocating for peace and prosperity on a significant global platform.

Vusal Huseynov spoke about the adverse effects of irregular migration on peace, economy and social cohesion worldwide and the necessity of formulating strategies to address this issue, ensuring migrants' rights, providing their social security, and facilitating their effective integration into society.

Chief of the Service highlighted the importance of intergovernmental and intercultural dialogues for regular migration, stressing Azerbaijan's experience and achievements in this regard. He noted that Azerbaijan demonstrates comprehensive efforts to combat irregular migration, taking significant steps to ensure the regular migration of migrants to the country and conducting continuous awareness-raising campaigns.

Furthermore, Chief of the State Migration Service mentioned the implementation of a proactive migration policy aligned with the country's development priorities, maximizing the development potential of migration and highlighted the application of incentives, particularly in economically revitalized regions such as liberated territories like Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, to create favorable business and investment environments.

During the session, discussions were held on solutions to reduce irregular migration, addressing forced displacement, providing assistance to those affected by conflicts and wars, and measures related to the social security and integration of migrants.

It should be mentioned that various panel discussions will continue over the three-day within the Forum.