On September 29–30, 2026 , Shamal Abubaker, Coordinator of the Slemani UNESCO Creative City of Literature Office, representing Dr. Haval Abubaker, Governor of Slemani, participated as a panelist in the High-Level Forum of Migration Partners Between Europe and Mediterranean Countries at the University of Malta. The event was organized by the European Union Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF) and brought together senior ministers, ambassadors, European Union and international officials, institutional leaders, high-level government representatives, European and international organizations, migration experts, academics, and diaspora organizations to discuss the future of migration partnerships, resilience, and regional cooperation.

The European Union Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF) is an EU-funded mechanism implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) to enhance cooperation between public institutions and diaspora organizations globally.

During an EUDiF panel, the representative of the Governor of Slemani addressed the audience alongside diaspora representatives from Moldova, Ukraine, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, and Europe. He highlighted the role of the Slemani Governorate as a bridge linking the human, professional, intellectual, political, and cultural capital of Kurdish diaspora communities with local institutions and community initiatives—working toward migration law reforms, supporting artists and writers, fostering cultural exchange, promoting investment, empowering youth development, and raising the visibility of the Kurdish diaspora in both their homeland and host countries.

Connecting Slemani Governorate’s local and international efforts in migration and diaspora affairs to EUDiF was gratefully made possible through an initiative by Mr. Farzan Najmadin, an active member of the Kurdish diaspora in the Netherlands, with continuous support from the Governor of Slemani, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Directorate of Migration, Displaced Persons and Crisis Response in Slemani Governorate, the General Directorate of Agriculture in Slemani, the University of Sulaimani, and Kurdish diaspora activists. Through this effort, diaspora engagement has transitioned from personal connections into productive, institutional, and mutually beneficial partnerships, strengthening the Kurdish diaspora’s contribution to local development, promoting Kurdish identity, and connecting the local region to the international cooperation community.