Amb. Abukar Osman and IOM Regional Director for East & Horn of Africa Mohammed Abdiker, hosted a luncheon for Eastern African Ambassadors to the United Nations in New York City. The luncheon was organized with the aim of focusing on ways to strengthen collaboration between the region’s ambassadors and IOM’s programs, particularly those related to migration challenges. During his remarks, Mr. Osman highlighted the need to work together to counter human trafficking and smuggling operations and emphasized IOM’s efforts in working with countries in the East & Horn of Africa region to develop effective policies that protect migrants.
Amb. Abukar Osman and IOM Regional Director for East & Horn of Africa, Mohammed Abdiker, hosted a luncheon for Eastern African Ambassadors to the UN. The purpose of the luncheon was to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the region in relation to migration.
During the course of the discussion, a number of key issues were raised. These included.
- The need for greater cooperation between countries in the region in order to effectively manage migration flows;
- The importance of promoting legal pathways for migrants, in order to reduce the reliance on dangerous irregular routes;
- The need to address the root causes of migration, such as poverty and conflict; and
- The role that development assistance can play in helping countries in the region to address these underlying issues.
Key Messages:
1. Brief on the work of the Permanent Mission of Somalia to the UN – quick overview and Priorities in NYC (UNSC and SDG 2030, Migration (Mainly handled at our mission in Geneva)
2. Inquire about what kind of support IOM needs from the Permanent Mission of Somalia to the UN in NYC.
3. Note that there is already established relationship between IOM NYC and the Permanent Mission of Somalia to the UN. There are opportunities for collaboration on side events.
4. Thank IOM on their engagement with the Somali diaspora globally & highlight how this is valuable to Somalia’s reconstruction and development. Encourage IOM to continue their programs that help engage, enable, and empower diasporas to become agents and accelerators of development.
5. Inquire about the issue of stranded Somali migrants in Libya & the assistance IOM provides if any?
6. Note that the fight against Al-Shabab has intensified and with increasing defections there is concern over the issue of reintegration and rehabilitation (ask IOM to brief on that)
7. Note that long-term resilience building is vital and ensure we build into the system more resilience and align with national priorities when it comes to issues around disasters, climate change, conflict, and the environment.
IOM’s work on Education. IOM Director Abdiker discussed the following prioritization :
1. Drought intervention
2. Building resilience to climate change
3. Diaspora engagement
4. Security in the country.
5. Humanitarian response plan
The importance of the event was to raise awareness about the work of IOM in the region and to engage with key partners in order to find solutions to the challenges faced by migrants. The Ambassadors were given an overview of IOM’s work in the region and its response to the needs of migrants. They also discussed ways in which they could collaborate to address the challenges faced by migrants.
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