Mr.Chairperson,

At the outset, I’d like to congratulate colleagues of Germany, Republic of Korea, Peru and Tunisia as bureau members, and wish Director-General Amy Pope every success in her first CouncilSession. China commends IOM’scontinuous efforts on the budget and governance frameworkreform and the protection of international migrants and globalmigration governance. I would like to highlight the followingpoints:

First, focus on theroot causes. The internationalcommunity must forge a stronger consensus on development asthe primary task and work together to speed up economicrecovery, in order to build a solid material foundation fordealing with migration issues. We call on all relevant parties tostick to the direction of seeking political settlement of conflictsand disputes, to promote reconstruction and reconciliation, andto reduce the large-scale, irregular movements of population. Webelieve that all parties should carry out robust cooperation underthe principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, andjointly and properly respond to the issue of migrants affected byclimate change.

Second, protect the legitimate rights of migrants.Wewelcome the foreign migrants to blend in with localcommunities and to yield productivity dividends.We advocatethe transnational law enforcement security cooperation forfacilitating the safe, orderly and regular migration and handlingproperly irregular migration. We stand firmly against illegalsmuggling and human trafficking, and oppose anystigmatization, racial discrimination and hatred.

Third, upgrade migration services by emergingtechnologies. We look forward to rapid strategic response byscientific forecasting of population migration trends, effectiveimprovement of identification capabilities, and optimizingemployment through date-driven algorithms by using emergingtechnologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.

Fourth, enhance international cooperation on migration.Wewelcome all member states to implement the Global Compacton Migration in accordance with their national conditions.We reiterate that developed countries should deliver on their commitmentsincluding the Official Development Assistance (ODA).Weencourage IOM to increase assistance support andcapacity-building for developing countries while reformingitself, and further improve the representation of developingcountries in IOM.

Mr.Chairperson,

China has always been committed to migration issues, andwill continue to firmly supportIOMand Director-General bymaking our due contribution to global migration governance andbuilding a community with a shared future for mankind.

I thank you.