Regional workshop in Baku highlights the role of remittances in national development

Baku - In early July, a three-day workshop on enhancing the socio-economic benefits of remittances in Azerbaijan was held in Baku. Organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan, the event aimed to explore key strategies for leveraging remittances to support national development. 

The event focused on a key project "Enhancing Socio-Economic Benefits of Remittances in Azerbaijan", more specifically on Action Plan No 26, which emphasizes the need for collaboration to enhance best practices on remittance-based issues amongst financial sectors  

Participants from the State Migration Service and Central Banks from the Regional Training Center on Migration (RTCM) attended this milestone event, representing ten countries: Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, in total 31 participants. Solutions were foremost at the event and focused on common pathways to create mechanisms to better meet the financial needs of migrants – through effective engagement with migration services and central banks from all member countries of RTCM. 

The event showcased the importance of remittances focusing on national development, evidence-based approaches, regional trends and challenges and the financial rights of migrants.

Jason Theede, Senior Regional Labor on Mobility Specialist at IOM Regional Office in Vienna kickstarted the event, highlighting the importance of remittances to the economies of several countries.

"With the increased mobility of migrants residing in countries of destination due to labour market needs, education and as a response to humanitarian situations, remittances provided to those back in country of origin are of utmost importance. It is therefore important to strengthen the dissemination of information through diverse digital channels on available remittance channels, inclusive of their features and ways to harness their impact both at the household and community level", said Jason Theede.

Caterina Guidi, a consultant for migration data and research at IOM Regional Office in Vienna, presented a report relating to data, scale and the positive impact of remittances.

The second day of the workshop highlighted the experience of Azerbaijan and featured diverse presentations on the topics of financial rights of migrants and refugees; interaction with the diaspora; and financial inclusion of migrants. 

The final day of the workshop focused on the potential of migrant client services through the lens of public institutions and the private sector. This included site visits to the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations (ASAN Services), the Central Post Office (Azerpost), The International Bank of Azerbaijan (ABB) and Rabitabank to witness first-hand the role that these institutions can play in providing financial services for migrant remittances. 

The workshop produced positive results with enhanced cooperation on key focal areas such as increased capacity for migration service staff, central banks, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The participants also looked at effective ways to promote regional cooperation through innovative and creative solutions to ensure streamlined mechanisms to better meet the financial needs of migrants.

About Regional Training Center on Migration (RTCM):

IOM Azerbaijan and the State Migration Service (SMS), with financial support from the IOM Development Fund (IDF), have initiated the project “Support for the Establishment of a Regional Migration Training Center in Azerbaijan” with the aim of expanding and supporting training and capacity-building activities in the field of migration at the regional level. The project aims to create an effective tool Central for enhancing the educational and training potential in the field of migration both within the region and beyond. The RTCM serves neighboring countries as well as countries in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Partnership, and beyond.

For more information, please contact IOM Azerbaijan iomazerbaijan@iom.int