Ambassador Azeez assures new DG IOM of Sri Lanka’s continued cooperation

Calling on Antonio Vitorino, the new Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, stressed that Sri Lanka’s longstanding ties with IOM pre-dated its membership in that organisation. 

He also assured continued cooperation and active support both in a bilateral context as well as at multilateral fora, particularly at a time when the IOM was preparing to assume new responsibilities as the coordinator of the Global Migration Network with a secretarial function for the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).

Director-General Vitorino, welcoming Sri Lanka’s active contribution to the common cause of global migration governance, particularly through leadership to the Colombo Process and now as the Chair-in-Office of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), stated that as vibrant Regional Consultative Processes (RCPs), the Colombo Process and ADD had enriched the content of the final outcome of the GCM. 

He expressed hope that Sri Lanka would continue this role, building upon the achievements made, to be a strong advocate of effective implementation of the GCM, during the Marrakesh High Level Meeting in December 2018, and also invited Sri Lanka to announce joint projects and proposals that could be supported by donor funding. He emphasised the importance of high-level participation at the Marrakesh meeting. 

Ambassador Azeez remarked that the IOM enjoyed wide recognition in Sri Lanka as a UN agency and that the IOM country office had been working closely with the relevant Sri Lankan agencies. He requested the IOM’s support in enhancing Sri Lanka’s labour mobility options, particularly through capacity and skills development, noting the need for economic and social empowerment of youth and women. 

The new IOM Country Representative-designate for Sri Lanka, Sarat Dash, and the IOM Advisor for Asia and the Pacific, Wen Li, were associated with the IOM DG, while Deputy Permanent Representative Samantha Jayasuriya joined Ambassador Azeez at the meeting.