IOM Supports Tajikistan’s First National Forum of Compatriots

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 25-26 June 2014 – The Ministry of Labour, Migration and Population Employment and IOM last week hosted a National Forum of Compatriots in Dushanbe.

The Forum, organized on the eve of the seventeenth anniversary of the National Unity Day, brought together senior government officials, executive authorities in the regions, Tajik diaspora leaders, as well as members of Tajikistan’s cultural centres abroad and representatives of the civil society and international organizations to discuss, identify and plan for a joint activity in order to stimulate partnership and trust and foster sustainable relations between the stakeholders and enable them to effectively engage in development processes.

Addressing the first Forum of Compatriots in Dushanbe, Minister of Labour Taghoeva noted Tajik citizens’ and partners’ efforts to ensure peace and development and their work towards strengthening the national unity, solidarity and integrity of Tajikistan as well as development of sustainable relations between all Tajiks living across the world.

Tajik Deputy Prime Minister Jabbori, attending the forum, welcomed all participants and expressed her appreciation of partners’ efforts in engaging the Tajik diaspora in development.

 “Labour migration remains one of the government’s priorities. Thus favourable conditions have been created by the Government of Tajikistan in order to attract the Tajik diaspora into sustainable development of the country,” said Jabbori.

There are currently 81 registered civil society organizations, cultural centres and Tajik diaspora groups active in the Russian Federation. Apart from Russia, two Tajik CSOs also operate in Ukraine, while the other two in the Kyrgyz Republic and a diaspora group with up to seven cultural centres of Tajiks function in Kazakhstan.

During the Forum, a roadmap for engaging the diaspora in development of the country and prospects for investment in the economy of Tajikistan was the main focus of discussions. The roadmap has been developed to provide concrete and practical guidance to responsible bodies. In addition, amendments and changes to the Action Plan of the Concept on attracting compatriots as partners to the development of the country were presented.

As part of the Forum agenda, IOM presented preliminary research findings defining capabilities and capacities of the Tajik diaspora in assisting the economic development of Tajikistan, based on the experience of IOM in developing programmes to attract diaspora in Africa.

At the end of the meeting, participants of the Forum adopted a direct call to the Tajiks living throughout the world to contribute to the development of their country.