Lebanon Signs Agreement with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development on the Status of the Centre's Representation in Lebanon

Beirut -- Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Youssef Raji signed on Monday an agreement with Susan Rab, Director General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), regarding the establishment of the Centre’s representation in Lebanon. The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release that Raji and Rab signed the agreement at the ministry in Beirut, “a step aimed at institutionalizing cooperation between the two sides in the field of migration governance.”

Minister Raji, in a speech delivered after the signing, affirmed that the agreement constitutes “further evidence of Lebanon’s commitment to continue strengthening friendly relations,” outlining the trajectory of cooperation with the Centre, which began with an initial agreement signed in March 2002, followed by a memorandum of understanding in November 2022, the year Lebanon joined the Centre’s Board of Directors. He stressed Lebanon’s firm belief in the necessity of ensuring safe, orderly, and regular migration, and of preserving the constructive role of migrants, while fully respecting state sovereignty and human rights. He warned that failure to do so “leads to a cascade of negative repercussions, rather than leveraging the opportunities that migration offers.”

Raji described the Centre as a leading intergovernmental organization, driven by its member states and dedicated to finding practical and effective solutions for migration management, reaffirming Lebanon’s commitment to consolidating existing institutional partnerships within the framework of the training institute under the Migration Partnership Facility (a professional center of excellence for migration governance and management implemented by the ICMPD).

For her part, the Director General of the ICMPD emphasized that the host country agreement signed “provides a fundamental basis to ensure the continuity of the organization’s presence and operations, enabling the Beirut office to work effectively within the host country and serve it, as well as to launch broader and longer-term programs in a coordinated and integrated manner.” Rab viewed the agreement not only as an important milestone in the organization’s journey but also as a practical responsibility incumbent upon every team member to deploy their expertise in service of Lebanon in a more robust and effective manner.

The ICMPD aims to develop innovative, comprehensive, and sustainable migration policies and to enhance migration management capacity. It is an international organization comprising 21 member states. (End) A.Y.B. / N.S.A.