Geneva – It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of John Bingham, former Head of Policy at the International Catholic Migration Commission, a deeply committed advocate of fair and inclusive migration policies. John’s contribution to migration governance has been significant and invaluable; it was borne out of his own extensive experience as a "practitioner" in providing assistance and advice to migrants and refugees.

John’s eloquent yet gentle advocacy was evident from the very first meetings of the Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD), and he contributed to the GFMD civil society days with unwavering commitment. Yet this was just one part of his work. He gave his time generously to many other initiatives, at the national and international level, including IOM’s Migrants in Countries in Crisis Initiative, as well as taking part in the IOM Migration Advisory Board.

More recently, John contributed his knowledge during the negotiation and adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), offering a welcome civil society perspective on the text.

On behalf of IOM, I extend my deepest condolences to John’s family, friends, and civil society colleagues. His dedication to advancing migrant rights, and his many achievements, deserve the highest praise, respect and recognition from the international community.

António Vitorino
IOM Director General