Geneva, 5 June 2026 (SUNA) – The Minister of Human Resources and Social Welfare, Mua’tasim Ahmed Salih, met on Friday in Geneva with Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, on the sidelines of his participation in the 114th session of the International Labour Conference. The meeting was attended by Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan, as well as a number of officials from both sides. The Minister expressed Sudan’s appreciation for the role played by the International Organization for Migration in supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and host communities over the past years, stressing the importance of strengthening partnership between Sudan and the organization in light of the country’s new phase. He reviewed developments related to recovery efforts, reconstruction, and voluntary return, noting that Sudan is witnessing an increasing number of returnees to their areas in several states. This, he said, requires additional support for safe, dignified, and sustainable voluntary return programmes, in addition to reintegration programmes, livelihood opportunities, and community stability initiatives. The two sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation in supporting returnees and displaced persons, strengthening vocational training and skills development programmes, developing data, registration, and targeting systems, and benefiting from digital solutions in managing social protection programmes and services targeting the most vulnerable groups. The Minister emphasized the importance of a gradual transition from the humanitarian response phase to recovery, reintegration, and resilience-building, in order to contribute to social and economic stability in communities affected by the war. Among the key outcomes of the meeting was an agreement by both sides to designate focal points to ensure coordination and regular follow-up, as well as to form and organize a joint technical mission to identify priority areas of intervention, paving the way for the preparation of a practical framework for cooperation in the next phase. For her part, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration affirmed the organization’s commitment to continuing support for Sudan during the phase of recovery, voluntary return, and reintegration, expressing readiness to exert all possible efforts to support programmes and initiatives that contribute to stability and sustainable development. In conclusion, both sides emphasized the importance of building on and further developing the existing partnership between Sudan and the International Organization for Migration in a manner that serves the country’s priorities in the recovery and reconstruction phase.BH/BH