IOM Director General William Lacy Swing and Organization of
American States (OAS) Secretary General José Miguel Insulza
have signed an agreement pledging closer cooperation between the
two organizations on activities related to migration to achieve the
maximum benefits for their Member States and their populations.

The agreement between IOM and OAS marks a growing recognition of
the need to jointly combat human trafficking, uphold the human
rights of migrants, and address labour migration needs in a
comprehensive manner in countries in the Western Hemisphere where
both organizations are represented.

The two organizations will focus on concrete joint efforts,
including:

• Workshops and other activities related to labour migration,
  counter-trafficking, migrants' human rights and democracy
  strengthening, and enhance policy, operational coherence and
  planning at the national and international levels.
• Develop and carry out research and cooperation projects and
  information exchange on issues of common interest for both
  Organizations.
• Follow up on migration-related resolutions of the Summit of the
  Americas (SOAs).
• Act jointly in the implementation of projects that are of
  common interest.  

"The signing of this cooperation agreement confirms the desire
and determination of IOM and OAS to deepen and strengthen our
partnership," said IOM Director General Swing at the signing
ceremony.

"We recognize the challenges that exist within the region, where
migration wears many faces – such as labour migrants and
victims of human trafficking – and believe that cooperation
between the OAS and IOM widens the possibilities we have to jointly
support States in addressing them," added Swing.

IOM has been cooperating with the OAS for a number of years,
mainly through its Commission on Juridical and Political Affairs,
which oversees activities related to the human rights of migrants;
the Special Committee on Migration; in the Summits of the Americas,
as a member of the Joint Summit Working Group; the Inter-American
Commission on Counter-Terrorism, and the Inter-American Commission
on Women.

For more information, please contact:

Niurka Piñeiro

IOM Washington DC

Tel: +1 202.862.1826 ext 225

E-mail: "mailto:npineiro@iom.int">npineiro@iom.int