V. INTER-MUNICIPAL COORDINATION MEETING ON REFUGEES

“V. Inter-Municipal Coordination Platform Meeting on Refugees” was held online on 16 December 2021 in cooperation with World Academy for Local Government and Democracy (WALD), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM).

The platform has been established in 2017 with the aim of sharing good practices, determining priorities at the local level, and discussing the needs of municipalities for their works involving refugees. The 5th Inter-Municipal Coordination Meeting on Refugees started with the opening speeches of UNHCR Turkey Representative Philippe Leclerc with the participation of many participants from 150 different organizations, including local governments, public institutions, national and international organisation representatives. The program continued with a special session by UNHCR Public Outreach Coordinator Claire Roberts Lamont on Global Compact on Refugees regarding the outputs of the compact and the related current developments in this field.

WALD Chairman of the Board Mehmet Duman, who moderated and made the opening speech of the "Istanbul Declaration Launch" session attended by Esenyurt Mayor Kemal Deniz Bozkurt and Gaziosmapaşa Mayor Hasan Tahsin Usta as speakers, said that, "Even though the curent pandemic conditions are challenging us, I believe that we have adapted to this process on globally with different solutions. As WALD, we continue to work with great enthusiasm to bring our local governments together and support them in this field.”

The following session of the program was moderated by UNHCR Istanbul Field Office Manager Elif Selen Ay. Avcilar Mayor Atty. Turan Hançerli, Mayor of Sultandgazi Abdurrahman Dursun and Istanbul Provincial Migration Management Director Bayram Yalınsu attended as speakers. The importance of social cohesion for social peace and living together was emphasized.

In the last session named the Livelihoods Panel was moderated by IMM Migration Policy Coordinator Meltem Ersan, projects, services and activities on refugees' access to livelihoods and social cohesion were discussed under the theme of "Inclusion: Common Problems, Common Solutions". Good practices and experiences were discussed in detail.

V. Inter-Municipal Coordination Meeting on Refugees was ended after the evaluation of the Mayors on the text of Istanbul Declaration by the opening for signature of Istanbul Declaration.