Geneva, 2 December 2021 (TDI): Pakistan’s Ambassador to Geneva Khalil Hashmi spoke at the Council Session of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM held its 112th Council Session.
1/4:At #IOM Council session,Amb @KhalilHashmi commended the organization for its assistance to people on move for 70 yrs.Noted that meaningful progress towards orderly migration requires tackling its socio-economic& political dimensions& addressing both its drivers&manifestations pic.twitter.com/YlTcOetWMX
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to UN, Geneva (@PakUN_Geneva) December 1, 2021
Challenges and Policy Ahead
Reflecting on the IOM’s performance over seven decades, the Ambassador shed light on the organization’s evolution. He said that initially, the world witnessed IOM focusing on logistics, resettlements, evacuations, return, and emergency responses. He added that now IOM has emerged as the lead organization at the intersection of global development policy and migration’.
The Ambassador talked of the emerging global discourse on the social, economic, and political effects of global migration. Adding he said that the COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the IOM’s challenges.
Khalil Hashmi stressed the importance of inculcating the subject of international migration into international development agenda, policy, and programs. He iterated that the global development policy agenda and migration are mutually reinforcing. Further the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Global Compact for Migration both reflect this spirit. Moreover, Hashmi insisted that both the drivers and manifestations of mobility and migration must be addressed with equality while formulating a common approach to tackle international migration.
Inequality and vulnerability are global issues. Secondly, Both these are drivers of migration internationally. A demand-driven solution tackling the social, political, and economic aspects of migration must be up taken, added the ambassador.
Pointing towards the struggles of the developing world concerning migration the ambassador said that it’s even more difficult. Developing countries have to either deal with a large migrant population abroad or host migrants at home. For some, the challenge is both ways. Additionally, fiscal constraints, debt burdens, and vaccine inequality worsen the problem.
Pakistan appreciated the IOM for advocating the ease of restriction on mobility and reducing the negative impacts of COVID on migrants. Also, Pakistan encouraged the IOM to raise efforts for scaling legal pathways for migration. Secondly, Pakistan stressed the need of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 10.C. This goal vouches for reducing the transaction cost of remittances to less than 3% by 2030. As well as for vaccine equity.
The Ambassador also shed light on Pakistan’s efforts and up-taken measures. He said that Pakistan helps Non-Resident Pakistanis through innovative banking solutions & investment pathways. A recent example includes Roshan Digital Banking.
As for the migrants settled in Pakistan, social mobility, employment opportunities & access to health &education are provided. This is irrespective of their legal status.
The Afghanistan Crisis
The ambassador also underscored Pakistan’s efforts in arranging evacuations from Afghanistan. He emphasized that Pakistan continues to provide logistical support to several states and organizations including IOM.
He extended a note of thanks to the Director-General of IOM for visiting the South Asian region. Adding he commended the IOM for staying in Afghanistan and preventing a large-scale displacement crisis. He added that efforts must be stepped in to prevent a still perceivable exodus from Afghanistan.
Ambassador Khalil concluded by calling for a contemporary migration agenda that promotes equity and sustainable development.
IOM is an intergovernmental organization working in the field of migration based in Geneva. It was established in 1951 under the framework of the United Nations (UN). 174 member states of the UN are part of the IOM. It is committed to promoting humane migration for the benefit of mankind. It basically works in four areas of migration management which are migration and development, facilitating migration, regulating migration, and forced migration.
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