On June 12, the Institute’s Global Migration Centre hosted António Vitorino, candidate for the post of Director General of the International Organisation for Migration, as part of the Global Migration Lecture series. Organised with the support of the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the UN Office in Geneva, the event brought together over 300 representatives from diplomatic missions, UN agencies, NGOs and academic institutions.
Mr Vitorino, a former European Commissioner and Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal, highlighted the importance of the UN Global Compact for Migration, which is currently being negotiated and which aims to define common principles and practices that would guide international responses to migration.
“The success of the Global Compact represents a test case for multilateralism”, said Mr Vitorino. “Making it possible for countries of origin, transit and destination to agree on a set of principles and objectives, to engage in voluntary commitments, would demonstrate that multilateralism (…) remains the best way to approach the key issues that are transversal in the international community.”
Introducing the lecture, Professor Vincent Chetail, Director of the Global Migration Centre, said that “as an academic institution in the heart of International Geneva, it is our social responsibility to promote more transparent debate and a better understanding of migration”, revealing that each candidate for IOM Director General has been invited to speak at Maison de la Paix.
You can watch a short video with António Vitorino below.