Uzbekistan showcases migration achievements at United Nations International Forum in New York City

The second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), organized under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly, was held at the UN headquarters in New York, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was attended by high-ranking representatives of UN member states, heads of international organizations, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), specialized agencies of the UN system, as well as representatives of civil society and expert circles.

The delegation of Uzbekistan was led by the Director of the Migration Agency, Behzod Musaev, who, in his speech, informed forum participants about the migration reforms being implemented in the country. He emphasized that Uzbekistan views migration not only as a matter of labour mobility but also as an important tool for human development, social stability and international cooperation.

It was also noted that the country has carried out a large-scale modernization of the migration management system and created a unified structure that coordinates the entire migration cycle—from preparing citizens for departure abroad to protecting their rights and interests outside the country.

Particular attention was paid to the development of high-quality, safe, and legal migration as an investment in human capital. It was stated that, in this regard, the republic is strengthening the mechanisms for the professional, language and legal training of citizens traveling to work abroad.

The Uzbek side also emphasized the importance of expanding international cooperation and developing joint approaches in the field of migration. It was announced that on May 18–19 of this year, Tashkent, in collaboration with the IOM, will host an international conference dedicated to contemporary migration issues.

Within the framework of the forum at the UN headquarters, a side event was co-organized with Qatar on the theme “Protecting migrants from exploitation and human trafficking: Integrating institutional systems and strengthening state partnerships”.

The event was co-chaired by Behzod Musaev and the Assistant Undersecretary for Migrant Labour Affairs of Qatar, Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al Thani.

It was attended by representatives of the IOM, the Ministry of Labour of Qatar, UN member states, international non-governmental organizations, and the expert community.

During the discussion, the experiences of Uzbekistan and Qatar in the field of labor migration were presented, and issues concerning the strengthening of international cooperation in this area were discussed. The event concluded with an interactive dialogue with experts.

On the sidelines of the forum, the head of the Uzbek delegation held a series of bilateral meetings, including talks with the Swedish Minister for Migration, Johan Forssell; the IOM Deputy Director General for Operations, Ugochi Daniels; Finland’s Special Ambassador for Migration, Tuula Svinhufvud; and the managing partner of the New York-based law firm “Ballon Stoll”, Vano Haroutunian.