IOM engages with labour sector stakeholders to outline future actions in Guyana
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) had the honor of participating in a webinar on Labour and Migration in Guyana, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce Guyana. Representing IOM Guyana was Program Support Officer for the Caribbean under the Western Hemisphere Program (WHP), Brendan Tarnay, and Project Officer for the Response for the Venezuelan Situation in Guyana, Monserrat Hernandez. Tarnay presented on IOM’s plans with the Government of Guyana in the area of labour migration in recent times.
“IOM supports evidence-based activities that can have a real impact on governance ultimately benefitting migrants and host societies,” said Tarnay. He added that, in the near future, IOM will be releasing two reports that cover labour migration: the Migration Governance Needs Assessment and the Guyana labour study entitled Planning for Prosperity: Labour Migration and Guyana’s Emerging Economy.
Both reports will provide vital information and recommendations that will aid government in building their capacity for migration management in the context of a new economic development model. Tarnay also emphasized that these reports are part of an initial phase of working with government, and that IOM would provide additional technical support through several initiatives that cover training on data collection and information management, as well as policy and legislative revision in the area of labour migration.
Guyana Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud expressed that the government needs to analyze the local skills gap to better integrate the diaspora and migrants into the workforce. “It would be a mistake for our country not to integrate this critical contributor to economic development in our short, medium and long-term policy formulation process,” he said.
Program Officer Karrie Peterson presented on behalf of the Bureau Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) of the U.S. Department of State. The WHP is generously funded by PRM.