Remarks by H.E. Mr. Tofig F. Musayev

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations

at the GCM Champions Ambassadors meeting

Permanent Mission of Canada to the U.N., 18 February 2026

At the outset, I would like to thank Ambassador Lametti and his team for hosting and organizing this meeting.

I am pleased to refer to Azerbaijan’s application to serve as Co-Chair of the Global Compact for Migration Champion Countries Initiative for 2026, and to reiterate my country’s commitment to fostering common understanding, shared responsibility, and unity of purpose on migration.

Constructive cooperation is essential to achieving meaningful progress under the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the first comprehensive intergovernmental framework on this issue. I thank the Co-Chairs, Canada and Ecuador, for their able coordination and efforts throughout 2025, and the UN Network on Migration for continued support.

As a GCM Champion Country, Azerbaijan’s principal objectives in migration management are to promote safe and orderly migration, mitigate vulnerabilities associated with irregular migration, and harness migration’s potential as a catalyst for sustainable development. Azerbaijan has taken sustained measures to advance effective migration governance, with particular emphasis on reinforcing and expanding regular migration pathways.

The Second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), to be held this May, will be an important opportunity to assess the state of GCM implementation and to identify shared challenges and opportunities. Member States, in particular the GCM Champion Countries, should work closely to achieve productive outcomes and practical solutions that strengthen international cooperation on migration in all its dimensions.

The Secretary-General’s report (A/80/632) provides up-to-date information on GCM implementation. As the report notes, multilateralism is central to the GCM, and no State can effectively address migration challenges alone. The key issues identified in the report should help guide collective action to advance the objectives of the GCM.

Mr. Moderator,

As to the measures at the national level, Azerbaijan is undertaking preparations for the second IMRF. Inter-agency work is underway to update the National Voluntary Review on GCM, prepare new pledges, and contribute practices to the repository.

Azerbaijan is committed to contribute to the second IMRF outcomes to reinforce shared responsibility, inclusivity, and sustainability, and to demonstrate continued regional leadership in advancing effective GCM implementation.

Thank you.