Democratization: Migration/Freedom of Movement of migrants, employers, law enforcement officers, and regional officials, as well as on an analysis of regional legislation in the pilot regions of Moscow and Volgograd. In the last few years, Kazakhstan has become another important receiving country in the region, particularly for migrants from other Central Asian states. Given the dynamic nature of the recent influx of labour migrants to Kazakhstan, no comprehensive attempt to explore its scope and characteristics has been undertaken so far. The ODIHR, in co-operation with the government and international partners, launched a research project aimed at filling the information gap, which is necessary for a better understanding of labour migration to Kazakhstan and to elaborate recommendations for the development of migration policy with the purpose of transforming migration into a factor for economic growth, human development, and socio-political stability in the countries of the region. The ODIHR, together with the IOM, continued to support the Data-Sharing Mechanism (DSM), a tool for the collection, application, and exchange of migration-related data among several countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. An annual DSM meeting took place in Vienna in August and gathered participants from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. Migration-related information in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is often exchanged on an ad hoc basis, which underscores the need for the creation of a functional and user-friendly mechanism for data exchange that would contribute to well-grounded decision-making in the field of migration. The DSM process is a first step towards formalized regional information exchange on migration-related issues. 46 Annual Report  Future Priorities The ODIHR will continue to facilitate interstate dialogue and exchange of good practices on issues of labour migration and human rights of migrants between countries of origin, transit, and destination in the OSCE region. Furthermore, informational and analytical support will be provided to states aiming to reform their migration management systems to increase the benefits of migration for their countries and protect the human rights of migrants. The ODIHR will continue to call on states to exchange migration-related data at the regional level and to improve their procedures for collecting and analysing data at the national level. The ODIHR will also assist authorities in developing effective procedures for managing migration processes by providing relevant expertise and conducting workshops and training courses. The ODIHR will continue to provide assistance to OSCE participating States in developing policies in line with their international commitments on freedom of movement and free choice of place of residence. In particular, the ODIHR will further enhance assistance in the development and implementation of new population registration systems and centralized population registers. The ODIHR will provide expertise and assistance to the countries of the former Soviet Union and South-Eastern Europe, and promote the exchange of good practices related to the reform of population registration systems among the countries of the region through expert meetings, training visits, and workshops.