International meeting on migration legislation in the CIS to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 29-31 October

WARSAW, 28 October 2001 (OSCE) - The development of migration legislation in line with international standards in the Commonwealth of Independent States will be the focus of an international high-level meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 29-31 October 2001, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In view of the challenges irregular migration poses to the internal and external security of states, the development of migration legislation compatible with international standards and best practices is of paramount importance. To this end, the meeting will examine the experiences made by the Czech and Slovak republics, Lithuania, Canada, the United States, and the countries of the Schengen area, and will discuss the implications of these experiences for the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and follow-up steps. Improving international co-operation on migration issues will also be on the agenda.

Among the participants in the meeting will be the Adviser on migration issues to the President of the Russian Federation, the Deputy Ministers of Justice of Georgia and Kazakhstan, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, parliamentarians from Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Ukraine. In addition, the meeting will be attended by other high-level officials, parliamentarians and NGO representatives from the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as by government officials from Central and Western Europe and international experts.