Since its establishment in September 2020, IOM Mission in Qatar has established productive working relations with migration-related ministries, UN agencies, as well as media, academia and and civil society partners in the country.
IOM Mission in Qatar in close coordination with Qatari partners conducted six training sessions for officials to enhance the overall understanding on migrant workers' rights and support national counter-trafficking efforts. In total, 172 representatives from different agencies, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Qatar National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, and Qatar National Committee on Human Rights benefited from these training sessions.
Additionally, the Mission organized three closed workshops for partners - Qatar Fund for International Development (QFFD), Education Above All Foundation, and Qatar Airways to outline potential areas of mutual cooperation.
During this period the Mission signed two grant agreements with QFFD to support vulnerable people in need in northwest Syria and Lebanon. Additionally, the Mission has signed a core contribution agreement with QFFD according to which the latter will provide IOM with unearmarked core contribution to support IOM operations globally through allocation of flexible funding.
The mission also activated partnerships with national institutions by concluding an agreement with Qatar Red Crescent and Qatar Charity as implementing partners for social and psychological support services for the evacuees of Afghan citizens. IOM also became the first international organization in Qatar to sign a contract with a local health institution “Al-Ahly Hospital” to provide medical services to Afghan evacuees.
Public events were also on the Mission's agenda, IOM Qatar organized the virtual panel discussions and an in-person public event to mark International Women's Day, the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, and International Migrants Day in Qatar together with its partners.