IOM Director General William Lacy Swing will address the 36th
Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference (OIC).

The three-day event, which opens tomorrow in the Syrian capital
Damascus, will bring together Foreign Ministers from the OIC's 57
Members States to discuss a wide range of issues from current
crises in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, to the impact of the
financial crisis on the Islamic world.

In his address to the Council, Director General Swing will
underline the importance of partnerships to address some of the
migration opportunities and challenges in the Islamic world.

He will also underline some of the Organization's priorities in
the Islamic world.  Those include providing support to OIC
Member States to better manage labour mobility in the region,
assistance to governments and civil societies to address irregular
migration and human trafficking within a rights-based approach, and
efforts to promote the role of Muslim diasporas in the Dialogue
among Cultures and Civilizations

OIC countries represent a significant number of IOM's 125 Member
States, having increased over the past decade from 11 to 40, with
another three currently holding Observer Status.  The OIC
joined the IOM Council as an Observer in January 2003.

For further information, please contact:

Redouane Saadi

Tel 00 41 79 70160 54

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