The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will provide
its full support and help to the Chinese government, allowing the
country to improve its handling of migration issues through
rigorous training and improvement, said visiting Director-General
Brunson McKinley Tuesday.
McKinley spoke to Xinhua that the IOM would attempt to get the
Chinese government to sign off on its ideas and programs, but
instead it will provide problem-solving advice, in such areas as
personnel training.
The IOM marked the inauguration of its China office with a
ceremony on Monday. McKinley described the office’s purpose in
maintaining close contact with every branch of Chinese government
and society.
During his five-day visit to China, McKinley met with senior
officials at the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Labor and
Social Security, describing the talks as "good, open, friendly and
informative", creating good initiative for future cooperation.
China has become an important partner in migration issues as it
has come to realize the preparation it must undergo to
appropriately tackle these issues, said McKinley.
McKinley also visited the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
during his visit to Beijing. His China tour rounds out an Asian
tour for the IOM Director-General who previously visited Japan, the
Philippines and Korea, exchanging similar views with government
officials there.
The Geneva-based IOM is the leading inter-governmental
organization for migration and works closely with governments and
NGOs worldwide.
IOM established contacts with China a decade ago, with China
attaining observer status with the organization in 2001.
(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2007)
