GENEVA (IOM - UN Migration) — The 109^th Session of the UN Migration Agency’s Council, which opened today in Geneva, has voted to support the application of the Republic of Uzbekistan to join IOM as a Member State, bringing the total membership to 173.

At last week’s Human Rights forum, safeguarding the rights of migrants was included into the Samarkand Declaration of Human Rights, on IOM’s initiative. The relevant text reads: “States shall strive to ensure the respect, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“Our partnership with Uzbekistan started in 2003, when IOM began delivering direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and vulnerable migrants from Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. Since 2015 the cooperation has been steadily growing, with two joint work-plans accomplished so far, and earlier this year we had a two-year Cooperation Roadmap for 2018-2019 approved by the Uzbek Government,” noted Dejan Keserovic, IOM Sub-regional Coordinator for Central Asia and Chief of Mission.

Uzbekistan is not only the most populous but also the most migrant-sending in Central Asia. Now with opening borders, it is also becoming a transit territory for migrants from neighbouring countries. Its current high growth rates may eventually lead to it becoming a destination country for migrants.

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM works in the four broad areas of migration management: Migration and development, Facilitating migration, Regulating migration, Forced migration. IOM activities that cut across these areas include the promotion of international migration law, policy debate and guidance, protection of migrants’ rights, migration health and the gender dimension of migration.