IOM and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will today sign
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Geneva on capacity building
in migration management.

ECO, whose Secretariat is in Tehran, is the inter-governmental
organization which brings together Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran,
Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to promote economic, technical and
cultural cooperation.

The MOU, which will be signed at IOM's Headquarters by IOM
Director General William Lacy Swing and ECO Secretary General
Khurshid Anwar, will focus on enhancing expertise in migration
management in the ten ECO member states, eight of which are also
members of IOM. 

It also aims to strengthen cooperation mechanisms for labour
migration; reduce irregular migration; raise public awareness of
migration health issues and human trafficking; initiate
counter-trafficking activities; promote voluntary return and
reintegration options for migrants; improve legal and policy
frameworks and support intergovernmental dialogue.

Closer cooperation between ECO and IOM could also contribute to
development goals in the ECO region through projects that would
improve migrant livelihoods, reduce poverty through more efficient
channelling of remittances, manage borders more effectively to
combat human trafficking and improve regional cooperation in
post–disaster response and recovery programmes, according to
IOM Regional Representative for Central Asia, Hassan Abdel Moneim
Mostafa.

For further information please contact:

Pedram Varshowkar

IOM Tehran

Tel: +98-21-22045364 Ext. 116-117

E-mail: "mailto:pvarshowkar@iom.int">pvarshowkar@iom.int