Côte d'Ivoire / UNOCI head receives IOM delegation

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, February 23, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Bert Koenders, received, on Wednesday 22 February 2012, a delegation from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), led by its regional representative for West and Central Africa, Caramela Godeau.

Mrs. Godeau explained that her visit to Côte d'Ivoire was aimed at reaffirming the collaboration that already existed between the IOM office in Côte d'Ivoire and all the UN agencies in the country. “I am here to strengthen this collaboration in the area of migration, which touches on all the important areas of development in this country,” she said.

With regard to the return of migrants, the IOM representative explained that arrangements had been made and that IOM worked with all the UN agencies involved in the return of displaced persons or the repatriation of refugees to their communities. The aim, she said, is to increase cooperation with the other UN agencies and the Ivorian government so that these persons can be integrated into their communities of origin and, in particular, participate in the country's economic and social development.

« We help them to go back, to resettle and, with the help of the international community, donors and other United Nations agencies, to develop job-creating and income-generating projects, » Mrs. Godeau stressed.

The IOM representative and her delegation later met the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Ndolamb Ngokwey, to discuss the same issues.