IOM and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research
(UNITAR) are teaming up to engage the UN peace building community
into a strategic partnership to effectively engage diasporas in
formal peace building processes.

A comprehensive agreement, which will be signed at the United
Nations in New York on 29 April by IOM Director General William
Lacy Swing and by the Executive Director of UNITAR, Dr. Carlos
Lopes aims to mobilize diasporas in key-capacity building projects
in post-crisis countries. 

"As the Executive Director of UNITAR and a national of
Guinea-Bissau, a country currently under consideration by the UN
Peace Building Commission, I see this initiative as an invaluable
opportunity for countries emerging from conflict to recuperate the
most valuable of their resources: the creativity, initiative and
ingenuity of their people," says Dr. Carlos Lopes. 

One of the key challenges facing countries emerging from
conflict   – and the UN peace building community in
its assistance efforts – is to strengthen public institutions
and services, and to develop the skills and capacities of citizens
who have often been deprived of education and training over
prolonged periods of time.

"The support provided by migrants and expatriates to countries
in crisis tends to be more stable than official aid and investment
flows, especially with the current economic downturn," says IOM
Director General William Lacy Swing. "This important partnership
will help ensure that diasporas can effectively contribute their
skills, knowledge and dynamism in peace building activities
worldwide."

UNITAR brings to this partnership its long-term expertise in
institutional capacity development, for instance in Afghanistan,
where the Institute provides leadership and management training of
key senior Afghan government officials, academics and
practitioners. Since 2003, the Afghanistan Fellowship contributes
to sustainable learning and reduced dependency of the Afghan civil
service on outside expertise.

For its part, IOM brings a wealth of expertise and long-standing
global experience in tapping expertise among diasporas for
development purposes, including in post-conflict countries from
Afghanistan to Sudan and from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Iraq.

Prior to signing the agreement with UNITAR, IOM Director General
Swing will also provide a keynote address at UN New York
Headquarters of a conference entitled "Peacebuilding: The Role of
Diasporas". 

This key event, which runs from 28-29 April in Conference Room 8
at UNHQ in New York is part of the Migration and Development Series
supported by the MacArthur Foundation, one of the largest
independent foundations in the USA, will focus on the positive
contributions that migrant communities and successful expatriate
entrepreneurs can make towards rebuilding and developing countries
and societies weakened by conflict.

For more information, please contact:

Amy Muedin

IOM New York

Tel: +1-212-681-7000 ext. 212

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