Pinoy elected to key post of intl group for migration

A Philippine diplomatic official has been elected key post of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an inter-governmental organization that addresses migration issues. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Evan Garcia, Philippine ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations has been elected vice chairman of the executive committee of the IOM. The DFA said the IOM executive committee held its 108th meeting on June 29. "(During its meeting), the Committee approved a number of resolutions on the activities of the organization and discussed the establishment of an emergency fund to boost the IOM's capacity to respond to crisis situations on the ground," the DFA said in a news release. Established in 1951,the IOM works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. The IOM has 132 member states and another 17 states hold observer status. The IOM has also offices in over 100 countries. According to its website, the "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." The IOM works in the four broad areas of migration management: