On 24 February 2010, IOM launched its first "IOM Retirees Day" to
recognize the contribution of retired IOM staff to the growth of
the Organization and to the well-being of migrants around the
globe. Held at IOM Headquarters, Geneva, the event attracted more
than 80 guests.

Director General William Lacy Swing opened the day with welcome
remarks, which were followed by a presentation by the Deputy
Director General, Laura Thompson, on the ongoing re-structuring of
IOM. The celebration continued with presentations on the evolution
of the Organization’s programmes since 1951, and a video clip
showcasing IOM’s more recent activities. "paragraph-link-no-underline-bold" href=
"http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/video-vault">Video Vault
Page

The second part of the event was dedicated to the presentation
of books written by three IOM Retirees[1] followed by a video on
the life of IOM Retiree, Mr. Albert Corcos, who served with ICEM
and then IOM from 1951 to 1986 and turned 100 on 22 January
2010.

Following a presentation on "paragraph-link-no-underline-bold" href=
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHXI2OmxM0U" target=
"_blank">IOM’s emergency activities in Haiti, the Day
ended with a reception, which provided an opportunity for former
colleagues to meet with IOM staff members in a relaxed
atmosphere.

The following is the abridged welcome remarks made by IOM
Director General William Lacy Swing:

I welcome you all back to IOM in my own behalf and that of
the Deputy Director General, Ambassador Laura Thompson, and the
entire IOM family. It is a distinct honour and pleasure to welcome
you in this building, which has served as our HQ for the past 25
years and in which most of you will have worked.

Let me begin by thanking you for joining us today for the
first "IOM Retirees Day". We can all be very satisfied with the
excellent response to our invitation: 84 IOM colleagues from the
Geneva area and other parts of Europe have come here today –
this out of a total number of 147 invitees. And, many others have
written me to express appreciation for the initiative and regrets
at being unable to join us today.

The origin of Retirees Day was, the idea of holding an
annual event for our IOM colleagues who have retired from the
Organization to follow other pursuits was simply to recognize, and
express our gratitude, for your long service to the Organization,
to the field of migration, and in particular to migrants
themselves, in all their forms and manifestations.

Our gathering today is also an opportunity to give you
current information on your Organization, IOM, and to exchange
thoughts with one another about the field of migration and how IOM
might more effectively carry out its mandate.

We also see good value in offering us all an occasion to
come together, to see old friends, and to enjoy trading
experiences, and renewing acquaintances.

The world is on the move. More people are in motion than
ever before in recorded history: 214 million international
migrants; 740 million internal migrants – a total of nearly 1
billion out of a world population of 7 billion; in other words, one
of every 6 or 7 persons today is a migrant in one form or another.
Were today’s 214 million international migrants to come
together and form a nation, the result would be one of the ten most
populous countries in the world. Were these same migrants to pool
all their remittances of more than $300 billion a year, their
combined GDP would exceed that of IOM’s host country,
Switzerland. Taking that into account the IOM – as it
approaches its 60th anniversary in 2011 – is more relevant,
more important, and more needed in today’s world than at any
other time in its history. Today, every government in the world
includes migration among its most important priorities, whereas
only a few years ago, to introduce the theme of migration into a
discussion would have evoked a large yawn.

IOM’s response, riding this wave of newly found
interest in migration, has been an exponential expansion in recent
years: a doubling of membership; a five-fold increase in its
budget; and a quadrupling of the number of offices
worldwide.

Our traditional activities continue to expand, and we are
increasingly being asked to enter newer fields of engagement
ranging from electoral observation to DDR to de-mining and
pre-consular services.

While retaining our independence, IOM is a close partner of
the United Nations system.

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[1] "Relief" by Soren Christensen

"Displaced persons, refugees, boat people, escapes and migrants"
by Albert Corcos

"The refugee connection" written by former DG James Carlin.