A joint delegation presents national efforts and calls for stronger international cooperation at the Global Coalition meeting.
The Iraqi delegation, headed by Hisham Al-Alawi, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organisations in Vienna, participated in the second meeting of senior officials of the Global Coalition to Address Migrant Smuggling, held at the Vienna International Centre.
The delegation also included Dinar Zebari, Coordinator for International Advocacy of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), alongside other representatives from the Kurdistan Region. Their participation highlighted joint coordination between Baghdad and Erbil on international migration issues.
During the meeting, the delegation presented Iraq’s ongoing efforts to combat migrant smuggling through preventive policies, improved legal frameworks, stronger institutional coordination, and expanded international partnerships. Officials outlined the challenges faced along migration routes and the need for more effective regional responses.
The Iraqi side emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation within the Global Coalition, particularly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other international partners. It also called for enhanced legal and institutional mechanisms to disrupt smuggling networks.
Delegates further stressed the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses migration routes holistically, alongside improved information sharing between countries of origin, transit, and destination. This, they noted, is essential to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable migrants by criminal networks.
The joint participation of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government reflected a unified commitment to international cooperation and coordinated action in addressing migrant smuggling and protecting citizens from trafficking risks.
