Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset, on behalf of the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) I would like to express our deepest sympathy to the
government and to the people of Bangladesh at this moment of
suffering for the loss of human lives and the devastating
consequences caused by cyclone Sydr. 

Once again Mr. President this General Assembly debate on the
Strengthening of the Coordination of Humanitarian and Disaster
Relief Assistance of the United Nations takes place in the wake of
yet another major natural disaster; this in itself a somber
reminder that the incidence and severity of disasters associated
with natural hazards continue to intensify.

Mr. President,

Strengthening the cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the
field of natural disasters is a topic intrinsically characterized
by collaboration and partnership with a broad range of
stakeholders, particularly in the areas most relevant to
IOM’s operational work: situations of population
displacement, sudden population movements, forced migration within
and across borders.  The relationship between the environment
and migration is now attracting increased attention. The complex
links between environmental change, human security and migration
are yet to be fully understood but undoubtedly, the human impact
associated with natural disasters due to climate change and
vulnerabilities linked to population growth, environmental
degradation, unplanned urbanization among others is on the
rise. 

While certainly not the only scenario leading to
environmentally-induced migration,  large-scale human
displacement in the wake of natural and sudden calamities is
perhaps the most familiar one. Devastating tsunamis, earthquakes
and floods have uprooted communities, leaving millions without
shelter and basic services. In some cases, restoration of
livelihood in the affected areas becomes permanently compromised,
making return unfeasible. However, it is also recognized that the
scale of displacement causing what we now call environmental
migration as a result of gradual deterioration of the environment
is far greater than the displacement resulting from individual,
even catastrophic events. IOM has been called to contribute to this
debate and to advance an intergovernmental dialogue on these
emerging but crucial topics the forthcoming Council of IOM next
week in Geneva will devote one of its sessions to "climate change,
environment and migration".

Mr. President,

IOM is a committed actor in the on–going humanitarian
reform process alongside humanitarian partners from the UN system
and the Red Cross movement including as an active participant in
the cluster approach and within the Global Humanitarian Platform.
Inter-agency collaboration in the implementation of the cluster
approach within the Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) is now
beginning to offer preliminary but promising indications of the
achievements that can be made in terms of improved coordination and
coherence, if this approach is followed consistently by all
partners.

The near two-year mark of the cluster approach gives us an
opportunity to highlight both its achievements and
challenges.   IOM has been participating in the
elaboration of the cluster approach and assumed the role of global
cluster lead for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) in
IDP situations resulting from natural disasters, for which UNHCR
has the corresponding lead in situations of conflict-induced
displacement. This joint approach is facilitating the building of
partnerships and synergies at both the central and field levels
with greater coordination and collaboration. The cluster approach
should be seen as a way to better respond to the needs of those
displaced by conflict or natural disasters. It supports national
responses and fills gaps where the national authorities need
international support and solidarity.  National governments
should be able to call upon any of the cluster leads as a focal
point in relevant sectors whenever appropriate.

Mr.  President,

While a cluster lead in Camp Coordination and Camp Management,
IOM continues to work on a variety of other, no less important
areas in emergencies which provide assistance and protection to
those displaced.  IOM’s IDP response continues to grow
in collaboration with others in the areas of shelter, early
recovery and transition, safe evacuation and transportation, return
and integration.  Additionally, with a new focus on protection
in emergencies IOM is active in the protection cluster and is
carrying out trainings for emergency staff to ensure protection
issues are mainstreamed throughout our operations. 

Among the various emergency funding mechanisms available to
intergovernmental organizations such as IOM, we would like to
highlight the relevance and usefulness of the Central Emergency
Response Fund, that has allowed the Organization to quickly deploy
capacities and resources in response to 16 crises in 2007 alone,
(including Indonesia, Cote D’Ivoire, Haiti and Peru among
others). An increase of the contribution to the CERF so that it may
reach its target goal by 2008 would certainly be a most welcome
development.

Mr. President,

The Secretary General’s report (A/62/323) also touches on
the topic of the possible use of Military Assets in Disaster
Settings. IOM particularly welcomes the commissioning of the
independent study on the effectiveness of using foreign military
assets in international disaster response, as it is crucial to
identify best practices for their deployment, coordination and use
in disaster situations. While we believe that humanitarian
organizations must continue to be at the forefront of humanitarian
aid, the scale of some recent disasters have shown that in certain
situations national and international military forces have the
necessary capacity at their disposal to respond in an adequate and
timely manner. The logistical support and expertise associated with
such assets can prove lifesaving in terms of transporting relief
assistance and in reaching remote and vulnerable communities.
IOM-Civil Military cooperation has contributed to the establishment
of Disaster Preparedness and Management Teams that have
strengthened and sustained the national capacity to more
successfully deal with such crises, such as the response in the
Pakistan Earthquake, Tsunami (Indonesia and Sri Lanka) and in
Afghanistan.

To conclude, Mr. President, IOM is committed to those most
vulnerable in times of crisis and remains dedicated to working
resourcefully and proficiently with its IASC partners.  We
express here our deep appreciation to our partners and supporters,
and in particular to the ERC and the OCHA leadership for their
unwavering commitment to the improvement of humanitarian response
capacities.

Thank you.