At the invitation of the government of Senegal and the Organization
of Islamic Conference (OIC), IOM Director General Brunson McKinley
is attending the OIC summit in Dakar, where he has also held talks
with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and other heads of
governments and ministers.

Migration and its consequences are top policy issues for the
Islamic world and IOM in recent years has made a broad and
concerted effort at close cooperation with OIC member states and
its Secretariat. IOM has operational agreements with the OIC and
with several of its constituent bodies such as the Islamic
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

In his statement to the OIC summit, McKinley expressed his
concern that migrants from Muslim countries are often at the
receiving end of anti-Islamic sentiments in destination countries
where stereotyping can lead to social exclusion.

McKinley also expressed support for an initiative of President
Wade to organize a global conference promoting inter-religious
dialogue to enhance greater understanding among different faiths
and communities as a way of helping migrant integration.

The two-day summit, which began yesterday and which is attended
by heads of state and representatives from the 57-member
organization, is looking at how to combat ‘Islamaphobia' in
the West as one of the key issues to be addressed.

McKinley, who has participated in many previous meetings of the
OIC, both at the summit and ministerial level, witnessed the
signing late last night of a peace agreement between Sudan and
Chad.

OIC countries represent a significant number of IOM's 122 member
states, having increased over the past decade from 11 to 40 with
another three currently holding Observer status.

"The increase in representation of OIC countries within IOM
membership during the past few years from all parts of the world is
a reflection of the successful relations and cooperation that have
been established with this important group," said McKinley.

IOM has been active in assisting the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) to improve the system of overseas contract work that is of
great importance to many developing countries, OIC member states
among them.

"The OIC and its member states can count on IOM for continued
support in the many tasks they must accomplish to make migration
and overseas work an engine for prosperity and better international
relations," McKinley added.

An important new area of cooperation between IOM and the OIC is
climate change and environmental degradation. Many Islamic states
face strong migration pressures because of desertification, rising
sea levels, loss of agricultural capacity and other environmental
problems.

For further information, please contact:

Abye Makonnen

IOM Dakar

Tel: +221 33 8696200

E-mail: "mailto:amakkonnen@iom.int">amakonnen@iom.int