His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, received Mrs. Amy Pope, Coordinator of the United Nations Migration Network and Director of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), at the General Secretariat headquarters on 3 July.
Gamal Roshdy, the spokesman for the Secretary-General, stated that Mr. Aboul Gheit highlighted the existing cooperation between the League of Arab States and the IOM on migration issues. He noted the efforts to enhance cooperation with all relevant regional and international bodies. The two sides have organised numerous events under the memorandum of understanding signed in 2000 and updated in 2020 to adapt to various regional and international changes and developments. One of the most significant events is the Second Regional Review Conference of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in the Arab Region, being held today at the General Secretariat headquarters.
In turn, Mrs. Pope thanked the Secretary-General for hosting the conference, which is being held in-person for the first time with high-level participation. She also praised the existing cooperation with the League of Arab States through the coalition focused on migration issues in the Arab region, established in 2020.
The spokesman added that Mr. Aboul Gheit highlighted climate change and wars as fundamental drivers of migration, emphasising the need to address these factors. He stressed the importance of developing Arab strategies and initiatives capable of tackling the root causes driving the escalation of migration and asylum flows. This can be achieved by linking migration and development and adopting developmental approaches that enhance cooperation between actors in the humanitarian and development fields.
