Mr. Chair, Director Swing, dear IOM colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

A heartfelt happy anniversary to you and to all at IOM, from all of us at ICMC, who like you and UNHCR, were founded in this town 60 years ago.

1951 was a year the world rose to meet one of the epic migration challenges of modern history: the displacement of millions of migrants when they, or borders, moved in World War II. The world then saw the value in responding to manifest human need with protection—newly recognized in an international convention; with good governance—new governance entrusted to efforts pooled in organizations like UNHCR and IOM; and in partnership, including with non-government organizations sharing similar objectives, like ICMC.

May we touch briefly on the importance we see, on the ground, of stepping up to the need for greater global governance of migration, protection and partnership today.

Governance. As emphasized last week by civil society at the Global Forum on Migration and Development, international agencies like IOM, UNHCR and organizations like ICMC “came into being as a direct response by governments and peoples to humanitarian and protection urgencies of their day. Delegates see similar urgency in the experience of millions of migrants and their families worldwide…“1

60 years on, we all see the globalization of economies, politics and human mobility. These next years call absolutely for the globalization of rights and responsibilities to catch up—both practically and with consistency. Global approaches are not to replace national and regional forms of governance, but, as with refugee and other convention-based regimes, to complement and inspire them.

We appreciate the attention in your five-year plan to improving the global governance of migration. As in so many IOM initiatives over the years, and in our own project this past year—the Conversations on Global Governance of Migration in which so many from IOM participated, we commit to re-doubling our engagement with you, with other international organizations, with governments and with regional entities for good movement and result on governance.

Governance moves and breathes best in partnerships, and so does protection.

To read this statement in its entirety, please see the pdf below.

ST Bingham Protection, governance and partnership in the 'Seventh Decade' Dec.2011 (389.6 KB)