IOM this week received funding from the Danish government to assist
in the temporary and voluntary return of qualified Afghan
expatriates to fill crucial human resources and technical gaps
within the Ministry of Education (MoE).

President Karzai recently instructed the MoE to carry out
reforms to facilitate the development of Afghanistan's human
capital by providing equal access to quality education for all
Afghans to promote the country's development and economic
growth.

In close coordination with the MoE, IOM will identify a total of
seven expatriates specialized in areas such as public
administration and human resource development to place them in key
ministry positions responsible for undertaking the reform.

"One of the main obstacles faced by Afghan educationalists who
consider returning to Afghanistan is a weak and overstretched
education system," says IOM Afghanistan Chief of Mission Fernando
Arocena. "Investing in improving the system will, to some extent,
encourage the Afghan diaspora to return on a temporary or permanent
basis."

IOM's return of qualified Afghans programme was launched in
December 2001. It has since attracted 828 Afghans who have returned
from 29 different countries to take part in the reconstruction and
sustainable development of the country.

For further information, please contact:

Althea Rivas

IOM Kabul

Tel: + 93 (0) 700 486 728

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

Katsui Kaya

Tel: +93 (0) 700 185 961

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