6th Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretariats of Regional Consultative Processes on Migration

The Sixth Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretariats of Regional Consultative Processes (RCP) on Migration was held in Geneva on 13th October, 2016.

Inter-State Consultation Mechanisms on Migration (ISCM) are state-led processes at the regional (regional consultative processes on migration (RCP)), inter-regional (inter-regional forums on migration (IRFs)) or global (global processes on migration) level promoting policy dialogue, cooperation and partnership on migration issues among their Member States.

Global Consultations of Chairs and Secretariats of Principal Regional Consultative Processes on Migration, also known as Global RCP Meetings (or GRCP Meetings), have been organized since 2005, bringing together representatives of Chairs and Secretariats of the main ISCMs (RCPs, IRFs and global processes) to:

(i) foster synergies and exchanges, share information, experiences and good practices on a range of migration topics;

(ii) contribute to improved policy coherence at the national and regional levels and promote convergence in migration policy in different regions;

(iii) strengthen collaboration among RCPs / IRFs, and enhance their interaction with global processes on migration, thus contributing to policy dialogue on migration at the global level; and

(iv) strengthen collaboration among the various ISCM secretariats.

Under the theme of “Migration and the Sustainable Development Goals: the Role of Inter-state Consultation Mechanisms on Migration and of Regional Economic Organizations”, the purpose of the Sixth Global RCP Meeting was to have a practical focus and further facilitate the identification of potential partnerships between the ISCMs and other actors at the regional level. The Sixth Global RCP Meeting was hosted by IOM solely on the occasion of IOM’s 65th Anniversary, and was held back to back with the IOM International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) Workshop.

The following issues have been discussed and addressed:

• new opportunities for inter-state consultation mechanisms on migration (ISCMs) with the inclusion of migration in the 2030 Agenda at the national and regional levels;
• ways to achieve the migration-related SDG targets, challenges and gaps to be addressed;
• active involvement of ISCMs in the implementation of migration-related SDG targets in the 2030 Agenda;
• activities of UN Regional Economic Commissions (UN RECs) to achieve the migration-related targets;
• multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development between ISCMs, regional economic organizations and UN RECs, and areas to support the implementation of the migration-related targets;
• programme /strategies to be revisited to reflect the new SDGs;
• steps needed to start /enhance cooperation co-operation between UN RECs and ISCMs;

Representatives of regional economic organizations, regional economic communities (RECs) and UN Regional Economic Commissions (UN RECs) took part in the Sixth Global RCP Meeting.

The Chair of the Almaty Process, Government of Kazakhstan was represented by Mr. Akmadi Sarbassov, Chairman of the Committee of Labour, Social Protection and Migration under the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Mr. Timur Shaimergenov, Deputy Director of The Library of the First President of Kazakhstan (Nazarbayev Centre). They made presentations on 2014 - 2016 capacity building activities and policy dialogue under the Senior Officials Meeting of the Almaty Process that supports regional cooperation in Central Asia, during the Chairmanship of the Government of Kazakhstan. All relevant activities and policy dialogue is supported by IOM Sub regional coordination office for Central Asia, which was represented at the meeting by Mrs Tatiana Hadjiemmanuel, Deputy Coordinator for Central Asia/Senior Programme Coordinator.

During these years the program networked close to 600 participants from Central Asian States (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) who were trained on good international practices under regional thematic training workshops such as: Addressing Mixed Migration Flows through Capacity Building in Central Asia, Migration Management and Capacity Building on Irregular Migration, Combating Trafficking in Persons – Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking, Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Response and IOM’s Migration Crisis Operational Framework, International Cooperation in the area of migration and emergency preparedness, Access of migrant workers to protection mechanisms; as well as participants from Almaty Process Member States - the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkey and Turkmenistan, Observer States - the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Guest States - Russia, China and Uzbekistan, who were involved in policy dialogue under the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of the Almaty Process, discussing on issues of Mixed Migration Movements from Afghanistan Post 2015 (2014), Labour Migration Opportunities and Challenges in Central Asia (2015),  Addressing Mixed Migration Flows in Central Asia: Human Mobility, Rights of Vulnerable Migrants and Refugees and Regional Cooperation (2016).

Throughout the years, IOM Central Asia engaged a variety of other UN agencies (UNHCR, UNDP, OCHA, etc) and other international organizations, civil society, community and religious leaders in its programme activities.

The IOM Central Asia regional migration programme "Addressing Mixed Migration Flows through capacity building in Central Asia" Phases I (2014-2015), II (2015-2016) and III (2016-2017) are supported by the Government of the United States, Bureau of Populations, Refugees and Migration (PRM-PIM) and implemented by the IOM Sub Regional coordination office for Central Asia

Mr. Akmadi Sarbassov, Chairman, Committee of Labour, Social Protection and Migration of Kazakhstan, Chair of the Almaty Process on Refugee Protection and International Migration

Mr. Timur Shaimergenov, Deputy Director, The Library of the First President of Kazakhstan (Nazarbayev Center)