IOM's Director General, Brunson McKinley, is today arriving in
Japan on the first leg of a four-country trip to Asia during which
he will also visit the Philippines, South Korea and China to deepen
existing relations and to explore further areas of cooperation
between IOM and Asian governments.



His arrival in Tokyo coincides with major Japanese funding for IOM
programmes in Iraq and its part in global efforts towards avian
influenza pandemic preparedness. During his five-day visit,
McKinley will hold bi-lateral talks with senior Japanese officials
as well as address a seminar on integration issues organized by the
Japanese Foreign Ministry.



The Director General will then travel to the Philippines where he
will receive an award from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in
recognition of his help to Filipino migrants, most recently during
last year's Lebanon crisis, as well as assisting the government to
address migration challenges.  The government is hosting his
visit, which will include the ceremonial opening of a new
government migration library and reintegration centre.



McKinley will then go to Seoul where he will hold discussions with
the South Korean Foreign, Justice, and Gender Equality and Family
Ministries on IOM's technical assistance on various migration
related issues including information campaigns for Korea-bound
migrants from South East Asia.

 

The official opening of IOM's liaison office in China will be on
the Director General's agenda for the final leg of his trip during
which he will also hold bi-lateral talks with Chinese government
officials including the Foreign, Labour, Public Security
Ministries.



IOM and China first established contacts over a decade ago and
since 2001, China has been an observer state of IOM. In recent
years IOM and China have jointly organized a number of regional
forums on issues such as irregular migration, the developmental
benefits of migration, including internal migration, and on
enhancing labour migration management capacity. In addition, IOM
and China have cooperated on research on Chinese migration and as a
donor China has supported IOM emergency humanitarian operations in
Asia.

For further information, please contact:

Akio Nakayama

IOM Tokyo

Tel: +81 3 3595 2497

E-mail: "mailto:iomtokyo@iom.int" target="" title=
"">iomtokyo@iom.int

Bruce Reed

IOM Manila

Tel: +632 848 1260

E-mail: "mailto:breed@iom.int" target="" title="">breed@iom.int

June Lee

IOM Seoul

Tel: + 822 62 45 7647

E-mail: "mailto:jlee@iom.int" target="" title="">jlee@iom.int

Zhao Jian

IOM Geneva

Tel: + 41 22 717 4394

E-mail: "mailto:jzhao@iom.int" target="" title="">jzhao@iom.int