By María José Brenes |
San José (EFE).- The American Amy Pope, candidate for director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said in an interview with EFE in Costa Rica, that her objective is to lead the organization with a focus on rights rights, dignity and security of migrants.
Pope, currently IOM Deputy Director General for Management and Reform, has been touring Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Caribbean countries to seek support for her candidacy.
The American affirms that it will support IOM member countries and the most vulnerable communities where, due to political conflicts, the climate crisis or poverty, people have had to migrate.
“My vision is that IOM is better prepared to support member countries and the most vulnerable communities around the world, through greater presence, active listening, participation, relationship building, strategic thinking and the inclusion of new actors. like the private sector,” Pope said.
Data from the international entity indicate that for the first time in the historical record there are more than 100 million displaced people in the world.
Migrants in Latin America
Regarding the Latin American region, Pope mentioned the examples of the nearly seven million Venezuelan migrants and the case of Nicaragua.
“You have to be understanding, migration belongs to people. You have to start by understanding why people mobilize: for violence, politics, domestic violence, poverty, conflicts, climate change. The dignity of migrants must be recognized and respected, in some cases listening to their stories,” he commented.
Pope pointed out that for society “it is easy to ignore them (migrants) and not pay attention to them” and that “for this reason, part of the job is to tell the story of who they are and recognize that there are countries with many pressures.”
The American Amy Pope, who aspires to be the first to lead the IOM, indicated that one of the reasons for the displacements is the search for sources of work, a situation for which the majority of Latin American migrants seek to reach the United States, where there is a great demand for jobs, as in Canada, and some countries in Asia, which are looking for a young workforce.
“You have to provide legal channels, temporary visas or humanitarian support. Support them so they can work, recognize their professions so they can access jobs. It is about working together with other countries in the region to alleviate the pressure on those who are receiving the migrants,” he said.
Pope pointed out that “it is a little understood approach, it is not something that has a solution, nor that a government can solve everything, it is a comprehensive job.”
Amy Pope’s goals at IOM
The main objectives that Amy Pope hopes to address are to build deeper relationships with IOM members, especially with Latin America.
Use big data from communities to predict the effects of the climate crisis and identify the most resilient communities.
In addition to seeking allies such as the private sector to work comprehensively.
“The only way to improve migration strategy and approach is to build a cooperative and coordinated regional approach, as no country can manage migration on its own. It takes partnerships, commitment, it’s about getting involved, visiting the sites and facilitating partnerships,” Pope said.
According to the American expert, migrants quickly become resources in their new communities, to which they infuse talent and highly sought-after skills; they create economic opportunities in the areas through which they transit and return resources to their countries of origin, which stimulate development and growth.