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IOM formally accepts Nepal's membership

Nepal officially became the 120th member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) today.

Nepal's request for membership to IOM was formally accepted by the 92nd Session of its Council held in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday.

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. It came into being in 1951, out of the chaos and displacement of Western Europe following the Second World War.

"With 118 member states, a further 20 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. From its roots as an operational logistics agency, it has become a leading international agency for migration related issues," states a press release issued by Nepal's Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva .

Efforts were made by Nepal to become IOM's member as a large number of Nepalese workers currently work overseas and, at times, it has sought IOM's help in rescuing its workers – in latest episode, Nepalese workers were helped by IOM when they tried to return home after war erupted in Lebanon.

"IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people."

Its broader scope of activities has been matched by rapid expansion from a small agency into an organisation with about USD 1 billion budget and over 5000 staff working in 100 countries worldwide.

Addressing the 92nd session of the Council of IOM, Nepal's Permanent Representative to the UN mission in Geneva Gyan Chandra Adharya said Nepal would work closely with the member states as well as the organization to promote its important work on all aspects of migration in the days to come.

"We have been associated with the various activities of IOM as an observer for the last several years. IOM has also provided a critical support and cooperation for our migrant workers in times of distress," Acharya said. nepalnews.com sd Nov 28 06