IOM is cooperating with the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan aimed at building the capacity of the latter to develop a comprehensive migration management system in the country. The project, in correlation with the present situation and existing structures in Azerbaijan, follows a methodology similar to other IOM capacity building programmes on managing statistical data related to migration in the world and in particular in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

The 12-month project ‘Strengthening the National Capacity in Collecting, Storing and Sharing Migration-related Data in Azerbaijan’, which was started to be implemented in June 2009, is implemented jointly by the IOM, UNFPA and the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is an outcome of the consultations of officials of IOM, UNFPA, State Statistical Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, and the State Migration Service. 

The overall objective of the project is to support the development of an effective migration management system in Azerbaijan by contributing to the:

• establishment of a comprehensive, user-friendly statistics and data management scheme within the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan; and

• enhancement of cooperation and coordination of government agencies dealing with migration related statistics.

IOM and its partners plan to achieve this through:

• improving the migration-related statistics and data management system in Azerbaijan; and

• enhancing skills of government officials who are working / dealing with data and statistics related to migration and population movements.

While the project is benefiting primarily the officials of the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan; other direct beneficiaries include officials of the State Migration Service, State Border Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population and other relevant State agencies.

The project is funded by IOM’s 1035 Facility as well as by the UNFPA and the State Statistical Committee.