Switzerland - IOM’s three-day Global Chiefs of Mission Meeting got underway yesterday (05/09) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Proceedings began with an inaugural dinner on 4 September 2016 where UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson was the Guest of Honour. Karen AbuZayd, the UN Special Adviser on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants, then delivered the keynote remarks at the opening session yesterday.

Other invited speakers include Peter Maurer, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President; Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva; and Leo Abruzzese, Director of Public Policy at the Economist Intelligence Unit, amongst other notable speakers.

In his opening remarks IOM Director General William Lacy Swing noted that the meeting was taking place at a momentous time for the organization as it marks its 65th anniversary and later this month joins the UN system as a related agency.

“A few days from now, IOM will begin its journey as an organization within the United Nations system. I am pleased and honoured that I – and the rest of the IOM administration – am taking the first step of this journey with you. When I sign the IOM-UN relationship agreement on 19 September in New York with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I will be signing on behalf of our Member States, which have given me the mandate to do so; but, I will also be signing on your behalf – the staff of the Organization,” Ambassador Swing said.

With regard to the Organization’s 65th anniversary, he encouraged the gathered Chiefs of Mission to celebrate and mark the occasion. “In December this year, we shall celebrate IOM’s 65 years of service to migrants all over the world. We encourage Chiefs of Mission to celebrate and mark the moment, possibly by highlighting the stories of individual migrants and showcasing colleagues, who very often are the unsung heroes of the Organization, working in very difficult situations,” Ambassador Swing said.

He also took the opportunity to note that the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants on 19 September 2016 in New York will be an important milestone in the history of migration, as well as a turning point in the relationship between IOM and the United Nations. This will be the first time Heads of State come together to address migration and refugee issues.

“Much effort has gone into the preparations for the Summit which have resulted in a negotiated outcome document, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants,” said Ambassador Swing.

The Global Chiefs of Mission meeting, which is held every two years, concludes tomorrow (07/09).

For further information please contact Leonard Doyle, IOM Geneva. Tel: + 41 79 285 7123, Email: ldoyle@iom.int