Minsk, Belarus – On 16 April 2024, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) together with the Government of Belarus launched a comprehensive assessment of its migration management systems through the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI).

The MGI is a tool based on policy inputs, which offers insights on policy levers that countries can use to develop their migration governance. Over 110 countries have already taken advantage of the MGI to advance their migration policies, promote national interagency dialogue on migration and strengthen reporting on migration within global frameworks, such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Compact on Migration (GCM).

The launch of the MGI in Belarus was initiated by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Belarus and the process will be supported by IOM, as well as other government stakeholders. To ensure a whole-of-government approach, an interagency group consisting of Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Statistics Committee, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Economy and State Border Committee was established to lead the MGI process. The Inter-Agency Working Group will contribute to the provision of information for the assessment and will be involved in the development of the final report by providing inputs at all stages of the process.

Involvement of various stakeholders in the assessment is crucial, as migration is a cross-cutting issue relevant to labour, education, health care, climate, finances and many other spheres. Acknowledging the complex and dynamic relationship between migration and development makes it possible to integrate it as part of solutions to achieve the SDGs.

In her opening speech, Ms. Alina Narusova-Schmitz, Head of IOM’s Policy Support and Coordination Unit, welcomed Belarus’ initiative to participate in the MGI and highlighted the role of the tool in taking stock of the comprehensiveness of national migration policies and strategies, as well as in identifying its good practices and areas that could be strengthened.

The MGI exercise will help Belarus to generate a government-wide dialogue on the issues of migration, to strengthen its reporting capacities and to improve policy based on evidence.

The MGI is carried out within the project “Strengthening the Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting of Migration-Related SDGs in Belarus” implemented by IOM in coordination with the Ministry of Interior of Belarus and with financial support of IOM Development Fund.