On 19 July 2024, the fourth extended meeting of the United Nations Country Network on Migration (UNCNM) was held in Minsk, co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration in Belarus.

The Network meeting gathered its UN Network Members, government partners and stakeholders, including those from local level, to discuss migration as a significant opportunity to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and support development beyond 2030. Additionally, the meeting also focused on effective migration data management in Belarus to inform evidence-based policy making. 

In his opening remarks, Dr. Rasul Baghirov, UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus, emphasized that well managed migration contributes to positive development outcomes for migrants and their communities in countries of origin, transit and destination. 

“Through their work, their remittances, and the connections they build between countries, migrants reduce poverty, provide vital services, and support families and communities in countries of origin, transit, and destination.”

Building on this, IOM Belarus Chief of Mission Mahym Orazmuhammedova noted that human mobility is part of the solution to rescue SDGs and that addressing today’s challenges, from climate change to conflicts, requires considering human mobility. While migrants are often among the furthest left behind, they simultaneously push forward development, well-being and growth for people and planet. More information and evidence in the IOM Flagship Report “Leveraging Human Mobility to Rescue the 2030 Agenda”.

A key tool for integrating migration as a driver for sustainable development is national migration policy. In January 2024, Belarus adopted a new Concept of Migration Policy to guide government activities in this sphere from 2024 to 2028. While presenting the Concept and its implementation plan, the Head of the Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Interior of Belarus emphasized that migration policy must remain flexible to adapt to the country’s socio-economic needs.

Participants also discussed current processes for collecting and analyzing migration data in Belarus and best practices in the South-Eastern, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia (SEEECA) region. They concluded that the National Statistics Committee is the key national actor in migration data management and emphasized the need to further strengthen its capacity.

Moreover, partners committed to actively mainstream migration in development-related areas such as demographics, local development, social and economic development.

The UN Country Network on Migration was established in Belarus in 2020 to support the country's implementation, follow-up, and review of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). It continues to serve as a platform for coordinating and discussing migration-related issues in Belarus.