The Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Belarus in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Belarus and the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus is organizing a press–conference on the occasion of the International Migrants Day. The press–conference will be held at the concert hall “Minsk” (Minsk, Oktyabrskaya Str., 5, room 402) on December 18, 2009 at 11 a.m.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day (resolution 55/93) in 2000. On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.  According to the IOM global estimates and trends there are 214 million estimated international migrants in the world today, which comprises 3.1 per cent of the global population.  The number of the migrants worldwide would constitute the fifth most populous country in the world.  Women account for 49 per cent of global migrants.

Migration is one of the defining issues of the twenty–first century. It is now an essential, inevitable and potentially beneficial component of the economic and social life of every country and region. Belarus is not the exception. Therefore the migration processes are given great attention in the Republic of Belarus, and together with the rest of the world our country is observing International Migrants` day through the dissemination of information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, and through sharing best experiences and practices existing in the field.

The question is no longer whether to have migration, but rather how to manage migration effectively so as to enhance its positive and reduce its negative impacts. Well–informed choices by migrants, governments, home and host communities, civil society, and the private sector can help realize the positive potential of migration in social, economic and political terms.

Governmental, non–governmental an intergovernmental institutions of the Republic of Belarus are gathering today on the 18 th of December to show their understanding of the global migration trends and readiness to respond to the existing and new challenges in the field, to share information with mass media and wide audience on the migration processes taking place in the country.      

The press–conference will be followed by the awarding ceremony, marking the valuable inputs of law enforcement and border guards’ officers as well as representatives of the non–governmental organizations in the field of migration management and combating trafficking in human beings.

For accreditation and further information please contact Ms. Anna Sigaeva, IOM Minsk Office, tel.: +375 17 288 27 42; e–mail:  

Print version