IOM Director General William Lacy Swing received the Annenberg
Award for Excellence in Diplomacy from the American Academy of
Diplomacy at a luncheon held yesterday at the US Department of
State.

According to American Academy of Diplomacy President, Ambassador
Ronald E. Neumann, "The Academy works to strengthen the resources
and tools America brings to managing its diplomatic
challenges."  Each year the Academy "recognizes an individual
who has made exemplary contributions to the field of American
diplomacy". Previous recipients of the Annenberg Award include
Ambassador Ryan Crocker, former US Secretary of State Colin Powell
and former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan.

Ambassador Swing was awarded this honour based on his lifetime
of service and accomplishments in the realm of foreign policy.

Before joining IOM in October 2008, Ambassador Swing served as
UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where he successfully led
all facets of the largest UN peacekeeping operation in
history.  Prior to his work in the DRC, Ambassador Swing
served as the Special Representative to the Secretary-General for
Western Sahara and Chief of Mission for the UN Mission for the
Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

During a long diplomatic career at the US Department of State,
he was a six-time ambassador, managing some of the largest
diplomatic missions and foreign development and humanitarian aid
programmes in two hemispheres, with a record of strengthening
bilateral relationships.

For more information, please contact:

Niurka Piñeiro

IOM Washington

Tel: (202)862-1826 ext. 225

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