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Date

1 - 2 December 2021

Objectives 

The EU-IOM Knowledge Management Hub (KMH) recently released the second issue of the Sustainable Reintegration Knowledge Paper Series focusing on the interlinkages between sustainable development and reintegration. Building on the topics addressed and the field projects presented in the paper, this cross-regional seminar discussed the key interlinkages between reintegration and development and drew particular attention to the experiences acquired from the implementation of these projects as well as other experiences, particularly those applicable cross-regionally. 

The seminar offered a space for discussion among return and reintegration experts, practitioners and policymakers. It brought together representatives of the governments, EU institutions and international organisations and CSOs allowing them to examine how programmes can maximize the potential positive mutual impact of sustainable development and reintegration through interventions at the community and structural level, and how programmes can be designed and partnerships established to pursue sustainable reintegration and sustainable development. 

Format  

The seminar was held over two days, from 1 to 2 December 2021, with two sessions per day (2h each). It was structured around four main sessions: 
 

  1. Mainstreaming into policy and programming 
    This first session shared practices on how inter-institutional coordination, legislative and governance mechanisms (at both national and local level) can optimize the contribution of relevant stakeholders. In addition, it discussed how mainstreaming reintegration into development planning and programming, and vice-versa, contribute to policy and programmatic coherence and ensure that reintegration support is anchored in local development priorities.
  2. Policies and reforms 
    This second session explored how appropriate policies can contribute to address reintegration challenges. It discussed how governments can strengthen or reform key legislation and regulations in different areas such as social protection, resources management, etc. to foster sustainable reintegration
  3. Bringing together returnees and community members 
    The third session aimed to put a spotlight on the community-based initiatives that directly support returnees and community members targeting economic, social and psychosocial dimensions of reintegration. The session also explored how such interventions, implemented through different approaches, can benefit communities at large.
  4. Addressing community needs
    The fourth and final session built on the previous conversation on community-based initiatives and further explored how, beyond direct support to returnees and community members, community-based initiatives can contribute to sustainable reintegration and sustainable development by addressing community needs at large. 

Recordings and Agenda 

Background information 

The cross-regional seminar was organized under the framework of theEU-IOM Knowledge Management Hub (KMH)

The KMH was established in September 2017 in the framework of the Pilot Action on Voluntary Return and Sustainable, Community-Based Reintegration funded by the European Union (EU) to strengthen learning across return and reintegration programmes, and support the harmonization of approaches, processes and tools under the EU-IOM Actions in support of migrant protection and sustainable reintegration and beyond.

As part of its component on setting-up knowledge management tools, a total of five cross-regional knowledge sharing workshops have been foreseen. The first workshop on sustainable reintegration was co-organized with the AU and EU in November 2018 and thesecond one on the return and reintegration of children and their families took place in March 2021.