Statements and Remarks of CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay

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Statement by CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay delivered at 115th session of IOM Council at High-Level Segment on 26 November 2024


Distinguished Chair,

Excellencies,

Honourable delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

At the outset, let me convey my gratitude to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for giving me the opportunity to deliver a statement on such a pivotal theme on migration - Regular migration pathways: a global call for action.

Migration is a multifaceted phenomenon that brings both challenges and opportunities to those who migrate, and both the place of immigration and emigration. Each subregion in Asia has its own migration patterns and dynamics influenced by economic, environmental, and social factors. Prolonged conflicts or actual hostilities and political instability have led to significant internal displacement, and millions seeking asylum in safe places abroad.

CICA is a unique consensus-based intergovernmental platform for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia. Today CICA brings together 28 Member States which covers 90% of the territory of the continent and more than a half of the world’s population. At CICA, Member States have an equitable platform to exchange ideas, disseminate knowledge, share best practices, and engage in collaborative efforts to build confidence among each other in dealing with matters related to migration across military-political, economic, environmental and human dimensions.

CICA, with its diverse membership and as the platform for dialogue, is well-positioned to facilitate cooperation and foster trust among national governments, law enforcement agencies, border security forces, immigration control offices, other relevant stakeholders, as well as UN system, regional organizations, and NGOs.

At CICA, Member States have held conferences, workshops, training sessions, and humanitarian assistance in various areas of confidence building measures including for labor migration, human trafficking, and refugee management. Although migration policies vary from state to state, there is a general emphasis on promoting stability and confidence-building through dialogue and cooperation.

For instance, Türkiye as coordinator of new challenges and threats dimension at CICA has held training courses for personnel of law enforcement agencies. CICA Secretariat supported Turkish National Police in organizing a training seminar on “Combating Forgery of Documents to Prevent Human Smuggling and Illegal Migration”. Issues of illegal migration and the consequences of it were deliberated at International  conference on regional security held by Kazakhstan within the CICA framework.

CICA advisory bodies such as Youth Council and Business Council can provide a significant opportunity to deliberate on issues of skill, migration, and job opportunities.

One important principle guiding relations among CICA Member States is human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are most relevant to the migrants whose rights are often undetermined, and freedoms curtailed. Goals of CICA defined in Almaty Act of 2002 such as enhancing cooperation through multilateral approaches, developing confidence building measures to address humanitarian issues, combating organized crime and promoting mutual respect, understanding and tolerance in the relations among civilizations are all well aligned in dealing with consequences of poorly managed migration.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

While CICA is a regional forum focused on enhancing cooperation and confidence-building in Asia, IOM is an intergovernmental organization that specializes in migration management globally. Both CICA and IOM, can jointly organize training programs for government officials, local authorities for sharing best practices and experiences on migration management including dealing with challenges of climate migration, labor migration, migration-induced displacement, and the protection of rights of migrants, refugees and victims of human trafficking.

The cooperation between CICA and IOM is critical for addressing the complex migration challenges in Asia. By combining CICA's regional influence and commitment for peace, security and stability in Asia with IOM’s expertise in migration management, the two organizations can help member states create more effective and comprehensive migration policies, ensuring the protection of migrants' rights while fostering regional stability and prosperity in Asia.

 

Thank you.

 

26 November 2024

FOR CICA MEMBER STATES

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