PH Candidate for IOM Deputy Director General Shares His Five Points in Candidates Forum 

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations, Philippine candidate for the post of Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration, delivers his statement during the Panel discussion with the candidates for IOM Deputy Director General. (Geneva PM photo)

GENEVA 22 May 2019 -- Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations and Philippine candidate for the post of Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, delivers his statement during the Panel discussion with the candidates for IOM Deputy Director Generalorganized by the Global Migration Center of the Graduate Institute Geneva held at the Auditorium Ivan Pictet, Maison de la Paix on 14 May 2019.

“One of the reasons why the Philippines launched its bid for this candidacy is the active role of the Philippines in international migration governance given the number of overseas Filipinos” Ambassador Garcia said in his presentation.  In the system of international migration governance, even long before the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the IOM has been the “crown jewel” of the migration architecture.

If elected, Ambassador Garcia said that as Deputy Director General, “I will assist the Director General in raising resources to perform additional duties of the organization. The Director-General will do aspirations and visions and as deputy, I will do plans and programs, and match the desirable with the doable and find ground in between.” 

Ambassador Garcia further shared his five points for IOM to observe to move forward in a meaningful way. 

These include: (1) Reality that most of migration is regular migration, labor migration, (2) IOM must work to promote inter regional and regional cooperation to help countries, for example in implementing the GCM once requested by Member States, (3) Migration is no longer an orphan issue – now it is seen as a legitimate, powerful and dynamic aspect of globalization. IOM to do its part in correcting the hideously negative narrative on migration. IOM has duty to established evidence-based baseline; (4) “Demographic destiny” – a push and pull reality between countries with ageing population and countries with population that can be mobile, and (5) Migrants are human beings – with hopes, fears and aspirations that deserve our attention and support. 

Afghanistan candidate Ambassador Dr. Suraya Dalia and Bangladesh candidate  Ambassador Md. Shahidul Haque also joined the Forum moderated by Global Migration Center director Professor Vincent Chetail. END

For more information, visit www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGenevaUN/.