 Your Excellency Minister Abdullah, President Ghani, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my privilege to represent the International Organization of Migration at today's event, particularly knowing the critical role that migrants and returnees have played in the recent history of Afghanistan and I'm sure will continue to play in its immediate future. Afghanistan is a migration tapestry. Since 2012, 2.7 million Afghans have fled the country, while an estimated 3.9 million Afghans have returned and almost 4.8 million remain internally displaced, while another 5.5 internally displaced have returned to their homes. Nothing important like peace comes easily. If the peace process is realized, the Afghan government and the international community must be prepared to provide the humanitarian support for mass returns, as well as supporting development interventions that make best use of the skills and experience of those returning. Not only is this critical for a strong domestic market, but the effective integration of returning Afghans, including former combatants, into communities will be critical for future social cohesion and the preservation of peace. It will be of utmost importance to manage the transition to peace effectively, make no mistake, migration and migrants will be central to this. How well we understand and respond to the migration context today will have ramifications for many years to come. However, with escalating conflict over the past year, vulnerability to natural disasters, and of course the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the peace process faces unprecedented challenges. But let us not forget that the people of Afghanistan are the best architects of solutions to those of the country. Regular labor migration pathways will be important to ensure overseas remittances transcend the country economically, and it is important not when they estimate the contribution that can be made to peace building and economic prosperity by the African diaspora, including refugees through international and regional trade cooperation. I am confident that the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan recognizes the need to plan for displacement and return, and to incorporate migration in general into its policy making and governance as the UN Migration Agency. IOM stands ready to further support those efforts to build a better future for the country through safe, orderly and dignified migration. IOM has been central in humanitarian response and sees a way forward in preventing forced displacement through stabilization and transition efforts. To be clear, now is the time to redouble our efforts to support the transition to peace and ensure that Afghans can choose rather than being pushed to migrate and that those who live abroad in fear will be free to return and contribute to the future of their place of birth.