 Good morning, Excellencies, Ambassadors, delegates, friends, ladies and gentlemen. To begin with our deliberations, may I request you all to put your mobile phones in silent mode and keep them away from the microphones when you make use of them. I would also like to request you to speak in a reasonable pace to allow interpreters to render accurate interpretations. Regarding item one, it is my pleasure to open the 110th session of the IOM Council. I would like to start by welcoming Ambassadors and delegates representing members and observer states, representatives of international organizations and civil society, the Director General, the Deputy Director General and all staff members of the organization. I am pleased to confirm that all credentials are in order and suggest that the Council take note of this. And this item is concluded. Under the second agenda item, I am pleased to present a brief report. Allow me first to express on behalf of my country, our deepest gratitude to all member states of the IOM for the trust and confidence you have placed in us, in electing us to serve as the members of the Bureau of the Council for the last three years, including my predecessor. The cycle ending today makes us proud as we believe that we have contributed our share in coordinating the activities of the Council throughout our collective efforts to strengthen the IOM's role in supporting member states and most importantly, migrants who often find themselves in a vulnerable situation. We have always believed that the work of the Council is extremely important in light of the fact that migration remains top global agenda. In that respect, I am pleased to report that the establishment of the United Nations Network on Migration to support the implementation, follow up and review of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration with the IOM had been designated to act as coordinator and secretariat during our chairmanship as an important accomplishment. It is also important to note that the IOM has embarked on internal governance reform to make the organization fit for purpose. I have high hopes that the incoming chair and members of the Bureau will further strengthen the Council's role in implementation of the IOM's strategic plan and the global compact on migration to ensure that migration remains safe, regular and orderly. Finally, I would like to say that it was a distinct honor and privilege to have been given a chance to serve as chairperson of this August body. Finally, allow me to extend my deepest gratitude to the Bureau members, the Director General and the Deputy Director and Director General and the staff of the IOM for the excellent collaboration and support provided to me during my chairmanship. In closing, I would like to wish the best to my successor in this position and want to assure the Bureau my full support in discharge of their mandate. I thank you. I now open the floor for any comments or questions, if any, if the Director General wants to make some comments. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, I just take the floor to express on behalf of IOM's administration our deep appreciation for the role that you have played in chairing the Council. We had one quite busy year. We have always benefited from your engagement and the engagement of the Bureau of the Council in working together closely in order to strengthen the role of IOM in the overall migration agenda. So I want to express in front of the Council my personal thanks for your engagement and commitment and being sure that we can go on counting with your support in your capacity as representative of Ethiopia. Thank you so much. Thank you Director General for your kind words. We will now start with the election of the officers for the IOM Bureau. First, I invite the Council to nominate a candidate for the office of the Chairperson of the Council. Accordingly, I would like to call on Her Excellency, Ms. Veronica Bard, permanent representative of Sweden. Excellency, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have the honor to nominate my colleague Ambassador Morten Jesperson, permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva as chair of the IOM Council Bureau. Ambassador Jesperson brings to the Bureau over 25 years of experience as a diplomat and substantial knowledge about development affairs and multilateral affairs. He has obviously served as Undersecretary for Global Development and Cooperation in the Danish Development Organization, Danida, and at the Danish Mission to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador Jesperson has also served as Denmark's Ambassador in Nepal. In addition, he has valuable experience from working for the Danish Foreign Minister in China and on Africa-related matters. Ambassador Jesperson has been the first Vice-Chair of the Council for the last 12 months and has served us very well. I am convinced that Ambassador Jesperson is eminently suited to take over the responsibility as chair for the Council Bureau and will be an important asset both to the Bureau and the Member States. Thank you. Thank you, Excellency Ambassador, for your nomination. I would like now to call on His Excellency Mr. Khalil Rahman Hashmi, permanent representative of Pakistan. Excellency, you have the floor for the second. Thank you, Honourable Chair. I have the honour to second the nomination of the Candidature for the Office of Chairperson just made by my distinguished colleague, the Ambassador of Sweden. As highlighted by her, Ambassador Morton Jesperson will bring to the Council significant experience and outstanding guidance which will help further strengthen the role of the Council. Ambassador Jesperson's familiarity with IOM and the work of the Bureau, as again pointed out by my colleague, the Ambassador of Sweden, makes him the right person to lead our work during the year to come. I thank you. Thank you, Excellency, for seconding the nomination. I would now like to ask the Council if it wishes to elect His Excellency Jesperson, permanent representative of Denmark as chairperson of the Council. I see no objection. It is so decided and I declare him elected. Now I would like to invite the new Chairperson, Ambassador Jesperson, to take his place at the podium. I would like to thank you all for the election and I would like to thank Ambassador Kocho for your good cooperation through the last year. Thank you so much. We will now elect the other members of the Bureau. I therefore invite the Council to proceed with the election of a first Vice Chairperson and a second Vice Chairperson and a rapporteur. I would like, therefore, to call on His Excellency Mr Ricardo Gonzalez Arenas, permanent representative of Uruguay, to proceed with the nomination. Excellency, you have the floor. Thank you very much indeed, Chairperson. And I'm honoured to take the floor to nominate His Excellency Mr Ivan Garcia of Philippines, permanent representative of Philippines to the United Nations and other international organisations of Geneva, as first Vice Chairperson for the Council of 2019-2020. His wealth of experience for more than 30 years as an ambassador in regional and multilateral organisations, focusing on migratory issues very often and his commitment as second Vice Chair over the past two months are an excellent background and I'm sure, therefore, that he will do an excellent job. Chair, I'd also like to nominate Her Excellency Ms Socorro Flores Lierre, permanent representative of Mexico to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, as second Vice Chairperson for the same period. Ambassador Flores Lierre has a wealth of experience in multilateral and regional affairs. Throughout her career, she has occupied a number of posts on behalf of her foreign ministry, both in capital and abroad. And she has taken part in the negotiation of international instruments on a number of occasions and she was a successively rapporteur for the Bureau over this last year, so we are sure that Ambassador Flores Lierre will do an excellent job as a second Vice Chairperson and contribute to the success of the work within this Council. And then finally, I have the honour of nominating His Excellency Mr Lanzana Alasen-Giberi, permanent representative of Sierra Leone, as rapporteur. The ambassador has excellent record of experience in the multilateral environment and I'm sure his experience will guarantee that he will do an excellent job as rapporteur. These three distinguished ambassadors are perfect for the proposed roles during the course of this year, which will be very important for the future of IOM and for international migration governments. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you Ambassador, for these nominations. I would now like to call on His Excellency Mr Prender Andreas Ananda, a permanent representative of Namibia Excellency. You have the floor. Thank you, Mr Chairman. I wish to congratulate you on your election as chair of this group, of this Council. I have the honour to second the nominations for the Council Bureau members, just made by my distinguished colleague, the Ambassador and permanent representative of Uruguay. His Excellency Ambassador Ivan P. Garcia, permanent representative of the Philippines as vice chair of the Council Bureau. His Excellency Ambassador Socorro Flores Liera, permanent representative of Mexico as second vice chair of the Council Bureau. And His Excellency Ambassador Lansana Allison Berry, permanent representative of Sierra Leone as rapporteur of the Council Bureau. His Excellency, the Ambassador of Uruguay has highlighted some of the professional qualities of these distinguished nominees. I fully agree and I am convinced that they will bring their vast and rich experience to the Bureau and will help further strengthen its role and guide our collective efforts. I thank you, Mr Chairman. I thank you for seconding the nominations. Does the Council wish to elect the two vice chair persons and the rapporteur as nominated and seconded? I see no objections. I declare them elected. Now, I should like to propose that the Council adopt the provisional agenda, document C slash 110 slash 1 slash Rev 1. Are there any comments? Namibia? Thank you, Mr Chairman. On behalf of the African group, I wish to congratulate you on your election as chair of this Council Bureau. Please count on our support and cooperation during the tenure of HLM of this Council. Before the adoption of the agenda, I wish to request clarity from the Secretariat whether the agenda item 10A was placed on the agenda for an update on the proposal of the Director General or for a decision or action to be taken by this Council as it was not proposed by the previous Council at its previous meeting. I thank you, Mr Chairman. Thank you. I would like to give the floor to the Director General for a word of clarification. Thank you so much, Mr Chair. Since it's the first time I take the floor after your election, let me join the members of the Council in congratulating you and the members of the Bureau for the election and reiterate to you our full commitment to work closely with you and the Bureau in order to strengthen the role of IOM. Good luck. In order to address the issue that has been raised by the Honourable Representative of Namibia, we believe that the point of the agenda that the Honourable Member has referred to requires clarification from our side in order to take stock of the intensive rounds of consultations that the Administration has led in the past few months. And when taking stock of the consultations, our assessment is that the necessary broad consensus that I believe is required for a successful reform of the strengthening of the top leadership of the Organization is not yet met. And so we look forward to go ahead in order to deepen those consultations and come to what we believe can be a positive outcome. Thank you. Thank you so much. With these clarifications and in absence of any proposal to amend the provisional agenda, could we then declare the agenda adopted? I see no objections. Agenda adopted.