Geneva – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) have signed (16/02) a cooperation agreement on enhanced and more strategic cooperation on migration and education, science, and culture in the Islamic World.   

The migration aspects of education, science and culture are essential for building inclusive societies worldwide where migrants can enjoy their educational and cultural rights.  

This agreement expands cooperation to all areas of migration governance. This includes migration policies; migrants’ rights; migrant integration; diasporas; youth and migration; gender aspects of migration; labour mobility; mobility for education; migrant health; innovation and technology; migration and climate change; counter-trafficking and counter smuggling; as well as partnership in support to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration; and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  

“It is momentous that this agreement with ICESCO is signed during the Pre-forum in Morocco to prepare the World Forum on Human Rights since it aims to promote the rights of migrants and their better integration thus leading to more inclusive societies as well as the acknowledgement of the positive contributions of migrants and diasporas to sustainable development across the regions,” IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels said after signing the agreement.  

IOM and ICESCO have cooperated for decades, and this the second global level agreement signed between the two organizations since 2003.  This new partnership will allow ICESCO and IOM to shape well-managed migration policies in countries of the Islamic World, to jointly promote the inclusion of migrants’ rights in development policies of countries receiving migrants all over the world and to draw attention to the contributions of migrants to sustainable development.   

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For more information, please contact  

Kristina Galstyan, kgalstyan@iom.int