Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Director General,
Excellencies,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you Mr. Chairman on your election and express our gratitude to your distinguished predecessor for his personal commitment and valuable guidance during the year. We are sure that we will also achieve a substantial progress in our efforts under your wise leadership.

We are also pleased to welcome the Independent State of Samoa as a new member of IOM.

Mr. Chairman,

The number of people on the move has dramatically increased in the last decade. Human mobility has become an important issue and trend in the global context. When we think about the world’s 232 million migrants, as well as the unfortunate losses of lives along the migratory routes, we feel obliged to strengthen our collaborative efforts and take action to protect migrants; contribute to their well-being and prosperity. As the Chair of the GFMD, Turkey believes in the necessity of a comprehensive migration governance approach.

In this vein, as the leading migration agency IOM’s achievements and operational responsiveness are very valuable. I would like to thank the Director-General for his comprehensive report and reiterate our support to the work and efforts of IOM under his able leadership and his strong team.

Furthermore, on the road to its 65th anniversary in the year 2016, we believe that IOM’s role in better managing migration and in protecting the rights of migrants is not only important but also crucial. IOM’s contribution to the international and regional processes, as well as to various conferences and consultative forums are praiseworthy. As the Chair of the Budapest Process, we value IOM’s contribution to this platform. Also, we commend IOM’s efforts as an effective member of the Global Migration Group in order to create synergy among different platforms and actors.

We are pleased to see that IOM is making substantial contribution to the preparations of the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. This is another major event, where migration issues should be addressed with the support of IOM.


Mr. Chairman,

Turkey and IOM cooperate on various aspects of migration management, as well as on prevention of trafficking in human beings and integration. We welcome our cooperation and believe that through various means and ways we will further deepen it.

IOM has accumulated significant experience in Turkey. I would like to stress the valuable contribution of IOM’s Turkey Office during the preparatory work of the new International Protection and Foreigners Law that has been adopted in April last year. This law is the solid proof of Turkey’s determination in addressing modern day challenges. Our comprehensive migration and asylum policy perspective culminated in this new Law. The enactment of the Law reflects the conviction that a strategic approach to migration can deliver benefits.

Mr. Chairman,

In recent years, unfortunately we have witnessed many crises causing complex consequences. We would like to commend the IOM’s work in addressing natural or man-made disasters. We would like to underscore the Organization’s efforts in the fields of emergency preparedness, response and recovery in the emergencies we have seen and continue to witness, such as Libya, Haiti, Philippines, Syria, Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and lately the Ebola crisis.

In this regard, we think that the Migration Crisis Operational Framework that we have adopted at the 101st Council has paved the way for a better and coherent response to the crises by IOM. Moreover, the IOM Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism is an important tool to respond rapidly and effectively to the crises. We support this Funding Mechanism.

Mr. Chairman,

We believe that migrants are the elements that diversify and enrich the culture of the society they live in, as well as contribute to the economies and development efforts of the host countries. Therefore, we would like to call on the States that have not yet done so, to adhere to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers.

In this respect, let me underscore the importance of the International Dialogue on Migration platform and commend the success of the Diaspora Ministerial Conference that was held in June 2013 in Geneva. We are of the opinion that the next Conference on migrants and cities in 2015, will also contribute to our efforts in addressing the current challenges.

The time is ripe for fostering deeper cooperation in the field of migration. Turkey is resolved to spare no effort in order to protect human lives with a view to strengthen cooperation in the international fora. Within this framework, we will host the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 that will coincide with the 65th Anniversary of IOM. In the process leading to the Summit, IOM’s contribution is vital.

Thank you.