Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

My colleagues and I are delighted with the turnout this evening
– to be joined by so many of our partners – government
officials; UN family representatives; IOM member states, and
others.

This is my first official visit to Afghanistan, an overdue
visit, despite the priority I accorded this visit at the beginning
of my mandate.

My visit coincides with the Organization's 60th Anniversary and
20th Anniversary of service to the Afghan people – from the
massive returns of Afghans from Iran in 1992 to management of some
of the largest IDPs camps of the time in 2001; and through the
tumultuous time of the fall of the Taliban-led government to our
partnership today with the Afghan government IOM has been present.
And as I said to the Minister of Refugees and Repatriatin, Mr.
JAMAYER ANWARI earlier today, we will stay present.

The objectives of my visit to Afghanistan are threefold:

First, to advance what I call "Member State
Ownership."

That is, In a nutshell, to thank you, our IOM Member States, for
your support to IOM's projects, which are undertaken at the request
of the Government of Afghanistan, and carried out with many of our
partners here tonight. IOM's efforts are focused principally
on:

• building capacities of Afghan government institutions to manage
  human mobility;
• emergency relief to displaced families;
• facilitated voluntary return of Afghan nationals abroad and
  reintegration into society;
• provision of key services and infrastructure e.g. health and
  education facilities;
• protection and rehabilitation of trafficking victims;
• the safe and dignified repatriation of vulnerable undocumented
  Afghans returning from bordering countries.

We thank the Afghan Government for the excellent cooperation we
enjoy and the many donor governments that make IOM's work
possible.

The second objective of my visit is to thank our partners in
Afghanistan.

No one government, or regional or international organization can
manage the major issues --- security, economic development,
humanitarian assistance, etc. in isolation.

IOM is the world’s leading migration organization whose
mandate is exclusively migration with a global, operational
footprint, yet we need partners to succeed.

According to the estimates of our close partner agency UNHCR,
since 2002, more than 5.7 million Afghan refugees have returned
home. Returnees constitute 25 percent of Afghanistan's population,
of whom an estimated 40 percent have not fully reintegrated,
leaving them particularly vulnerable. Sustainable reintegration is
a major challenge and opportunity that requires coordinated
action.

We look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation with all
of our partners, including the Ministry of Refugees and
Repatriation – and in this regard pleased to sign an MOU
today with Minister ANWARI, to support the transition from
emergency humanitarian relief assistance to longer-term sustainable
development interventions.

The third objective of my visit is to pay Tribute to the men and
women of IOM working in Afghanistan – more than 350 national
and international staff working in Kabul and across the country in
Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nangarhar and
Paktya provinces.

Like other duty stations, here we find dedicated, professional,
working in extremely difficult circumstances, often with little
praise or recognition. What is perhaps different here is the
extremely high morale, despite the difficulties.

This in my opinion is a mark of leadership and I applaud Marco
Boasso for the excellent team he has built; and the esprit du corp
that is so ever present.

With that let me close with thanks and appreciation.