Ashgabat – On December 22, 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - the United Nations Agency for Migration in Turkmenistan, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan, organized a briefing for national counterparts on the outcomes and results of the  "Comprehensive Action Plan for Afghanistan and neighboring countries" project in Turkmenistan, funded by the Swiss Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The purpose of the briefing was to present the outcomes and results of the implementation of the IOM project in Turkmenistan, as well as to provide recommendations to national partners to reduce further risks associated with the situation in Afghanistan.

The briefing was attended by representatives of various ministries and agencies of Turkmenistan, including: Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Migration Service, State Border Service, State Committee on Statistics, Institute of State, Law and Democracy, Mejlis and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Turkmenistan. The main speakers of the event were: IOM Subregional Programme Coordinator - Ms. Kerry McBroom, national expert on international law - Mr. Igor Kaganovsky and IOM Project Coordinator in Turkmenistan-Mr. Dovlet Chariyev.

During the briefing, the participants touched upon such topics as the consequences of the Afghan crisis on migration flows to neighboring countries, as well as the cooperation of the Central Asian countries in preventing the risks associated with an emergency situation in Afghanistan. IOM Sub-Regional Programme Coordinator, Ms. Kerry McBroom, shared IOM's experience in supporting governments, partners and stakeholders in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in reducing the risks associated with the situation in Afghanistan, and in developing a comprehensive human rights approach to support Afghan migrants related to with them people from risk groups and local host communities. In turn, the IOM Project Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Mr. Dovlet Chariyev, presented to the national partners the action plan of activities which were implemented by the IOM team in Turkmenistan within the framework of the project. The final part of the briefing was devoted to the results of the Analysis of the legal status of representatives of the Afghan communities in Turkmenistan, where the National Expert on International Law, Igor Kaganovskiy, presented a detailed overview of the legislative framework of Turkmenistan, which serves as the basis for the settlement of representatives of the Afghan community in Turkmenistan.

This briefing, organized by IOM, became one of the main events dedicated to the implementation of  “Comprehensive Action Plan for Afghanistan and neighboring countries” project in Turkmenistan. IOM intends to continue to work with the Government of Turkmenistan, providing technical expertise and advice on various aspects related to the provision of humanitarian support to representatives of the ethnic Afghan communities living in the territory of Turkmenistan.

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For additional questions, please contact:

Dovlet Chariyev

IOM Communication Focal Point

E-mail: dchariyev@iom.int

Tel:+99312 488407