 Good morning, good morning, everyone, and good morning, GJ, Secretary, good morning. So we are starting, I'm hoping it is on time. So we begin, we continue with the item 10, which is a high-level segment. And it is my great pleasure to give the floor to Minister Giovanni Castillo, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guatemala. Do you have the floor, gentlemen, Excellency? Director-General of the International Organization of Migration, Chair of the Council, Distinguished Alligates. On behalf of the Guatemalan Government, I would like to convey my gratitude to the CIOM for having convened this high-level segment on the intersection between climate change, food security, migration and displacement. These are highly pertinent issues on the regional and international stage. The interplay between climate change, food security and human mobility is glaringly evident every day, given the current migratory context, whose consequences affect a higher number of people living in situations of vulnerability. And this is exacerbated by the recent pandemic, and that is why it is absolutely critical to adopt measures to address these challenges, working towards the protection of human rights of those persons who are affected and, in particular, migrants. Supporting vulnerable communities is essential for Guatemalan crafting strategies or of adaption and resilience to natural disasters, as well as assisting those persons who have been affected, mainly those who have been displaced for these reasons. And that is why Guatemala is working in a coordinated fashion with the IOM, recognising its support and assistance that is grants to our country, with a view to forging lasting solutions whilst prioritising the needs of migrants, their protection and the respect of full human rights. In the same vein, the implementation of objectives against the backdrop of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, this is a valuable tool to improve migratory governance in all its spheres and address the main challenges that underpin human mobility. Guatemala recognises that migration is a multi-faceted reality that requires bolstering cooperation from a basis of shared responsibility to forge innovative strategies and to step up efforts to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration. Mr. Close, Guatemala reiterates its thanks once again for the constant cooperation and technical assistance that has been granted to it by the IOM. Thank you very much. Thank you, Guatemala. Thank you. Thank you so very much. I now have Ms. Francesca Di Giovanni on the Secretary for Multilateral Sector Section for Relations with States and International Organization, the Holy See, my pleasure as hardly to invite you to take the floor. Director General, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, the Holy See wishes to thank the IOM for highlighting the intersection between climate change, food security, migration and displacement. Each of these four phenomena affects either directly or indirectly the whole human family. What lies at the centre of their intersection is the impact that they have on the lives of human persons, especially those in the most vulnerable situations, including extreme poverty. Pope Francis has repeatedly called attention to the effects of the climate change and the environmental degradation, while also expressing concern about the evidently between environmental instability, food insecurity and migratory movements. This connection becomes more and more evident every day. Indeed, the crippling consequences of the climate crisis, famine and water scarcity are already a reality for a multitude of people worldwide, with consequences for the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights. This month at COP 27, states parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are knowledge that climate change is a common concern of humankind, and that loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change result in devastating economic and non-economic losses, including forced displacement and impacts on cultural heritage, human mobility and the lives and livelihoods of local communities. Just as on that occasion, the OEC would like to emphasize that the human face of the climate emergency challenges us deeply. We have a moral duty to act concretely in order to prevent a response to the more frequent and severe humanitarian impacts caused by climate change. The growing phenomenon of migrants being displaced by it is a concerning sign. Even when they lack access to international protection, states cannot leave them without tangible solutions, including in the areas of adaptation, mitigation and resilience. Where this is not possible, it is important to recognize migration as a form of adaptation and to increase the availability and flexibility of pathways for regular migration. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, last year alone, climate-induced disasters led to the internal displacement of 23.7 million people. Furthermore, without early and concerted climate and development action, over 2016 million people could become internal climate migrants by 2050. We should never forget that these are not mere numbers or statistics, but our brothers and sisters. Their suffering, represented by the data and trends seated above, offer us few alternatives. The human reality of migration and the issues of food security and climate change require but their very nature and magnitude a collective and coordinated response by the international community. All states are affected by their consequences, and no single state can manage them alone. Finally, the OEC wishes to reiterate that the immigration debate is not only about migrants. Rather, as Pope Francis reminds us, it is about all of us and about the present and future of human family. The challenges posed by climate change to humanity and to our common home have not only environmental but also ethical, social, economic and political relevance affecting above all the life of the poorest and most fragile. In this way, they appeal to our responsibility to promote through collective and joint commitment a culture of care which places human dignity and the common good at the centre. Thank you. Thank you, Holy See. I now have the pleasure to invite the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development of Nigeria, Excellency Hajia Sadia Umar Farouk. We have the floor, Excellency. Your Excellency, Chairperson of the Council, member states and delegations, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Indeed, the interlinkages within climate change, food security, migration and displacement I felt across various communities, countries and regions around the world. The impact of human induced as well as climate induced hazards signals severe consequences for livelihoods, food security, human life and national security. Climate change induced hydro-metrological disasters have caused devastating human children crisis in Nigeria this year. There have been drought and desertification in states nearing the lake-chart basin which worsens livelihood activities and living conditions for the communities in the area that have 5 million fishing as their major sources of income. Furthermore, coastal and flash floods in many parts of the country have resulted in the first displacement of approximately 3 million people. Over 600 deaths, damaged over 300,000 hectares of land, damaged public infrastructure and homes, and disruption of businesses and libraries, especially in agrarian communities. Consequently, crop cycles have been affected by these climatic conditions as a result. It affects the availability and affordability of food leading to food insecurity in many communities across Nigeria. With limited harvest and outputs, some farmers are forced to return to farming for subsistence rather than for trade and scaling up the agricultural value chain. This affected include refugees, intelligent displaced persons, the poor, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, as well as women and children. These vulnerable groups are at most at risk of the climate-induced displacement and are directly impacted by climate change despite the fact that they contribute delays to the phenomenon. Our migratory patterns also include rural-to-urban migration, where most people end up in illegal settlements and have limited access to social welfare services. Internal migration has also triggered social tensions, communal clashes and farmer-hedsmen conflicts. Finally, we see youths engaging in labour migration to Europe and other countries in search of better jobs. Many of them still use regular channels, which puts them at risk of sexual and labour exploitation as well as small-brent and human trafficking. There are approximately 5 million internally displaced persons in Nigeria and over 300,000 Nigerian refugees in neighboring countries. Charged, Nigerian, and Camero are largely due to the impact of climate change and insecurity. Chair, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Human Resources, disaster management and social development is focusing on mainstream risk protection and climate change adaptation in these policies and strategies and programmes. Notably, the 2019 Disaster Risk Management Policy calls for mainstreaming disaster risk protection in all areas as well as resilience bloating of at-risk communities to stand disasters and curb falling into situations of protracted displacements. The policy recognises that reducing vulnerability to hazards require a focus on root causes and two hazards vulnerability assessment to foster prevention and mitigation of existing risks. At an operational level, my ministry maintains a climate change dex in-house and also within its agency which focuses on collating data, implementing programme plans, policies and programmes on disaster risk reduction and climate change. To address the effects of the unprecedented floods we have experienced this year and to ensure affected communities build resilience before the next rainfall cycle, we are still distributing emergency food assistance to affected populations, issuing cash grants to vulnerable households and working with the National Food Security Council to ensure siblings, sponsors, equipment and loans are available to farmers in time for dry season wind. For new and existing IDPs, the interconnection between climate change and food institutions at Displacement means that displacement can be protracted and prolonged at least to additional vulnerability. As humanitarian and protection needs increase, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and Operational Agency under my ministry is focusing on a lively good empowerment and building resilience for climate shocks. This will ensure that durable solutions are implemented in a humane and orderly fashion and ensure they are sustainable thereby leaving no one behind. Furthermore, the ministry is supporting the Ministry of Environment in implementing the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change Policy which specifically calls for MDAs to employ adaptation to climate change as a means of ensuring that Nigeria meets its commitment under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to enhance resilience of economic, social and ecological systems in the country. Nigeria is pleased with the outcomes of the COP 27, especially of the historic and long-awaited discussion to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund to assist developing countries in responding to and recovering from climate change related hazards and disasters. This will allow Nigeria, like many other nations, to leverage financing and partnerships to ensure the proper adaptation and resilience building of communities, most aspects of disasters triggered by climate change. In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, our agencies, we are exploring piloting a free-faced climate change adaptation project that will assess the vulnerabilities and capacity of communities, implement community-based adaptation projects, and finally streamline trained at risk groups to larger social investment schemes for poverty alleviation. We therefore invite the IOM and other stakeholders to key entities. Thank you for your attention. Thank you, Nigeria. I now have the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, His Excellency Christian Gilham Fernandez. You have the floor, Excellents. Thank you very much, Director-General. Allow me to begin by conveying my gratitude to the IOM for convening this session and for giving us a space for open dialogue on this cross-cutting theme of the utmost importance. Every day we're seeing more evidence of how environmental degradation is directly affecting the full enjoyment of human rights of our peoples. And how inaction to climate change has real and deep-rooted impacts on these communities. Many of whom are forced to leave their homes towards new areas, whether that be within their country or beyond its borders, seeking out better living conditions. The state of emergency in which we are living currently cannot be ignored. And effective and decisive reactions cannot be delayed. Costa Rica, as all of the Central American region, is a country which is highly vulnerable to climate change. And in the last few years, we have seen firsthand the consequences wrought about by hurricanes, floods, droughts and other phenomena that are increasing in unprecedented frequency. These phenomena have had a direct effect on human mobility in the region and in countries. Just recently, during 2020 and 2021, the region witnessed the movement of approximately 1.7 million people due to the devastating effects of hurricanes Eta and Ayota. In our country, approximately 2,000 people have been internally displaced due to the effects of these hurricanes. Whilst addressing environmental degradation and natural disasters, it is critical to address social, economic factors and other factors which trigger human mobility. We must have a holistic approach whilst addressing these challenges that we face as nations and an international community. For Costa Rica, it is critical that any action, whether that be environmental or natural, the human being, the person needs to be at the very centre of this, guaranteeing the full enjoyment of all human rights. We stand convinced that a human rights based approach in risk management and climate action is the only way in which we can address this triple planetary crisis, as well as addressing the socio-economic challenges which stem from this. As we mentioned during the recent meeting of the Standard Committee of Programme and Finances, Costa Rica thinks that it is absolutely essential to address the implementation and the international strategy for migration, environment and climate change needs to be addressed. It is only through coordination between the various local, national, international and regional institutions and particularly those directly affected communities, only through this can we find solutions to adapt and mitigate to the consequences wrought about by climate change. Costa Rica is a country with a long standing history of welcoming migrants whom for various reasons have decided to set up their lives in our country. This brings with it enormous challenges but at the same time enormous benefits for the socio-economic development of Costa Rica. We have developed a legal framework and a framework of action in step with our international commitments using human rights instruments and environmental instruments with a view to setting out conditions to ensure that human mobility is safe and orderly. To name just a couple of examples I would like to mention the following. As part of our work in the Santiago network on loss and damage of climate change, the country has identified the need to map those populations at risk to assess the costs of relocating them with a view to developing protocols in these cases. According to the relocation of people, on the other hand, Costa Rica has a positive experience of this. Since the earthquake of 2009 that flattened the town of Sinchona, this town had to be relocated and there was a consultative process with the affected population which then led to the economic recovery of new Sinchona as well as a renovation of community life in this town. Likewise, we have also made headway in the inclusion of migratory issue in operative documents on preparedness and response such as the National Risk Management Plan of 2016 to 2020 and the training manual on community management of those communities at risk by tsunamis and amongst others. With these examples we would like to highlight the Costa Rica acknowledges the consequences of climate change upon the movements of its people which might be voluntary or forced and this is reflected in the different strategies and climate action plans. It would be remiss of me to close where I not to mention to make a call to the states here present that we have to stop thinking in thematic silos and that we have to acknowledge that protection of migrant rights, their human rights in general cannot be achieved unless we address environmental degradation at the same time. The Human Rights Council and the General Assembly have recognised human rights and to ensure that people have a right to a clean, safe and sustainable environment. This has given us a critical tool to implement integrated actions in the areas of environment and human rights which are more critical than ever today. Thank you. Thank you, Costa Rica. I now call the Deputy Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia, Ms. Cristina Oza-Liska. Excellency of the floor. Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, let me first congratulate the acceptance of the decision on joint work on implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security. The impact of the coronavirus disease in the 2018 pandemic and other global challenges has exposed the limited resilience of global food systems to adverse impacts of climate change and the limited progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals and ensuring food security. Increasing frequency of extreme weather events has exposed millions of people, especially small-scale farmers, those from low-income households, indigenous people, women and youth in developing countries to acute food and water insecurity and that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than 800 million people face hunger every year, a figure set to increase as a consequence of climate change. Observations of climate change in North Macedonia, recorded since the middle of the 20th century, include increases in the average mean annual temperature in comparison with the period from 1961 to 1990, range from 0.2 to 0.5 degrees. Among the ten warmest years for the period from 1951 to 2012, five of the last six most recent years are included 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012. Precipitation observations have indicated a general trend of decreasing rainfall. The greatest frequency of heat waves has occurred in the last ten years, with maximum occurrences at the greatest number of stations in 2012 and 2007. North Macedonia is particularly vulnerable to climate change and variability as well extreme climate events. The sectors most at risk are the water sector, agriculture, forestry and biodiversity. North Macedonia recognizes the need to address the effects of climate change by promoting effective adaptation measures for the key vulnerable sectors. Summary of the vulnerability analysis and proposed adaptation measures by sectors include adaptation on the rainfall. Drought is occurring almost every season in most of the agricultural areas in North Macedonia and is projected to be more severe with climate change for the reducing crop yield. Extreme precipitation events are causing low permeable soils to become waterlogged destroying sensitive crops. Irrigation is prioritized as one of the best adaptations options for crop production in North Macedonia. Climate change has a severe negative effect on livestock productivity and welfare resulting on frequent and prolonged heat stress. Adaptation includes technical solution to ventilation, air circulation and ventilation. A life record vulnerability approach was used to measure the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of different regions and municipalities in North Macedonia. The findings confirm that the human capacity to cope with the effects of the climate change is not equally dispersed and vary greatly across the municipalities, especially online with indicators on primary education and people engage in agriculture. Policy response options should account for the uneven distribution of impacts across different territorial units and ultimately the affected population in different regions and municipalities. We are staying committed towards appropriate addressing on this issue into our policy documents, especially in the field of adaptation of agricultural sector to climate change. Thank you. Thank you, North Macedonia. I have now the sixth Secretary Minister of Foreign Affairs of Naui, Mr. Erlin Rimmistad, Excellency of the Floor. Director General, dear colleagues and delegates, climate change undermines our past development achievements as well as our future efforts. This has never been clearer. Food production and climate issues are closely interlinked. Climate change, conflict, displacement and hunger reinforce each other in a destructive way. The IOM has documented how an increase in frequency and intensity of weather and climate related events has a negative impact on displacement and the disruption of food chains. We must intensify our efforts to combat climate change. We need to build climate and disaster resilient societies. If we fail, more people will be forced migrate to escape poverty, hunger and conflict. We also know that the impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed. They affect disproportionately the poorest and most vulnerable populations, in particular women and children. So what can we do? Achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement is our first line of defence. We all need to raise our ambitions and deliver on our promises. Secondly, there is a need for climate change, adaption and prevention. Norway supports efforts to promote preparedness and disaster risk reduction. We also need more finance for climate robust food production. As announced at COP 27, we stand by our commitment from Glasgow to double our climate finance and within this to at least triple our support to climate adaption by 2026 at the latest. We encourage others to deliver on their commitments. In a few days, Norway will launch a new strategy for food security. The main objective is to contribute to climate robust food production by small holders and the development of local value chains and markets. Small scale food producers involved in agriculture, fishery and aquaculture are pivotal in preventing hunger. Last but not least, we need a more forward looking humanitarian system, especially in areas of conflict and fragility. Most hunger crises have clear warning signals and a great deal can be achieved through prevention and early action. Prevention is more efficient than restoration. For this to happen, we need to work on stronger coordination and better sharing of data analysis and information. Developing comprehensive early warning systems in fragile context is not an easy task and will require humanitarian and development actors to join forces. The work of the IOM on migration data must continue to be a high priority. The SDG 10.7 of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development commits us to cooperate internationally to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration. In addition, the global compact on migration encourages us to work towards comprehensive international cooperation on human mobility. Norway will do its share also in the context of legal pathways for migration and inclusion. The progress we saw towards achieving the SDGs has been reversed and poverty is on a steep increase in many parts of the world. Combined with the efforts of climate change, increased displacement inevitably follows. The Norwegian government emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to our common migration challenges. We will look for the potential synergies between humanitarian and development efforts as well as stabilization and peace initiatives. Our goal is to continue to support refugees and migrants and at the same time strengthen host societies and local communities. Ultimately and hopefully our collective efforts will mitigate the root causes for forced displacement and increase the protection and human rights of refugees and migrants. Climate change, poverty and displacement are inseparably linked and therefore need to be addressed as such. Our collaboration with the IOM on these issues is crucial and Norway will remain a strong partner in your endeavors. Director General, thank you and good luck with the deliberations of the council in the days to come. Thank you, Norway. I have the Vice Minister of Human Mobility of Ecuador. I actually see me as Silvia Espinora, Dola. You have the floor, excellence. The problems of migration linked to climate change are currently one of the key topics on the public agenda and must be subject to consideration by all social actors at a local, regional and international level due to their short and medium term effects on the quality of life of major segments of the population and because the environmental crises increase the vulnerability of a population subject to human mobility, which is another reason for the creation of these flows forced displacements of vulnerable populations are the result of the degradation of living conditions and the creation of environments that are ever more hostile to communities, capacities of reception states to provide comprehensive assistance to migrants. And this is also a challenge for host communities today. The elements come together with a post COVID scenario where we have seen the domestic problems of states are deepen, which creates social tensions and affects governance and democracy and have impacted and increased economic inequalities between countries and reduced national capacity to deal with the issues of the climate and migration crises. A tangible consequence of the effects of after COVID is the loss of income from states and the enormous fall in remittances, unemployment and the lack of resources for the social and productive sectors. Adding to this environmental natural disasters in various regions of the world have led to a reduction in agricultural production and food security for whole countries. So it's essential that we look at the component and the element of migration within our climate strategies and attack it on both fronts. The Director-General of the IOM, Mr. Antonio Vittorino, at the last United Nations conference on climate change said that the consequences of the climate crisis and human-on-human mobility are deep. Just in 2021 alone, the natural disasters provoked 23.7 million internal displacements and climate action can wait no longer. More than 216 million people may become internally displaced migrants due to climate by 2050. Ecuador, as in as many developing countries, is one that is most vulnerable to climate change and to migrant flows. Historically, we are a country of origin, transit, reception, return and refuge, and this creates many challenges for the state and Ecuadorian society. Despite the limited resources available, Ecuador makes major efforts to assist all national and foreign citizens residing in our country. Our commitment to regular orderly and safe migration is reflected in the Constitution of the Republic. We recognize the same rights and obligations towards all individuals independently of their nationality and migration status. Legal system grants universal access to basic services and attempts to provide decent conditions for a dignified life. The efforts that Ecuador has prepared have led to us being recognized as a champion country in the global compact for safe orderly and regular migration. As human mobility is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, it requires an effective response to the new challenges of migration dynamics which are linked to climate change. It is therefore necessary to strengthen our joint strategies between the countries that are host countries, transit countries, and those of origin. It's the principle of a shared but differentiated responsibility in the face of the fight against the effects of climate change on migration is essential to face up to this phenomenon. We must reach agreements that give priority to subjects on the agenda of international organizations and in particular of cooperating countries. The contribution with greater resources of more developed countries to mitigate the most devastating consequences of environmental phenomena in developing countries will be essential to develop and support national strategies which will achieve sustainable development for the well-being of all populations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have now Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Miss Sylvia Espin. Is that what we are just now? Ah, yes, Belarus. Oh, yes. Miss Yuri Ambra Zivi. Excellent. You have the floor. I'm sorry for the box out. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Chairman, worldwide developments of recent years and months unfortunately testify to persistence of numerous challenges in the area of migration, fuelled by un-conflict humanitarian crisis and in general by negative factors of the current transformation and international relations level. Among such factors are causing different shocks, including from the point of view of migration prospects. One should know the policy of unilateral course of measures of Western states affecting the exports of fertilizers, grain, energy, financial settlements, the transit of goods between the countries, transportation and others. If the policy of the West, which has acquired large scale and unpredictable character, continues many countries of the world and above all the least developed countries, vulnerable to economic shocks, food shortage and inequality may become a new source of forced migration of millions of people. In this context, it is very important that the IOM, along with other UN agencies, should be active and vocal in countering the illegal sanctions policy. We think that it is unacceptable to tackle the problems of migration by building walls or punishing migrants or asylum seekers by denial of access. It is unacceptable to use such principles as xenophobia and discrimination. This is particularly shocking when we are witnessing such a policy from the countries of so called liberal democracy and the proponents of human rights. We call the IOM to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the EU migration policy in terms of its compliance with international standards. Repeated migration crisis in Europe indicate that we are talking about systemic issues. We appreciate the balanced approach and constructive involvement of IOM in resolving the situation with migrants on the border of Belarus with the EU countries back in autumn 2021. The main priority of our cooperation with IOM and UNHCR during this period was to create safe conditions for migrants, provide them with all the necessary assistance. IOM has always been a flagship and important partner of states in coordinating international efforts. We believe that in the current situation of increased activity of traffickers who take advantage of the crisis, IOM anti-trafficking efforts should be strengthened. Belarus is ready to actively engage in such efforts, including by sharing our best practices and capacity with the International Training Center in Minsk, established with the support of IOM. The problems of migrants is a huge burden, both for host transit countries and for the IOM. We are facing a serious lack of funding. However, let us be honest to solve emerging issues, funding alone is not enough. Well-governed migration might be achieved only by joint coordinated efforts fully involved states. In this context, Belarus is convinced that this process should be based on the principles of mutual consideration of each other's interests. Belarus tirelessly calls for restoration of mutual trust through a global dialogue on security. A revival of the spirit of San Francisco. More recently, we have proposed as a practical step for the United Nations to draft a charter for the diversity of the world in the 21st century, whereby all member states should be able to set out some key principles for governing international life, including in the immigration area. Thank you very much for your attention. Thank you. Thank you very much. And I have the undersecretary of state for consulate and migratory affairs of Honduras, Sikhalos, Antonio Gashir, Kanzer. You have the floor. Susa, Excellency. Your Excellencies, it's an honor to speak at this important space on behalf of the first president of Honduras, Her Excellency, Omar Castro, who has a particular awareness and sensitivity for those who are in situations of vulnerability as are those who are subject to mobility. Countries in our region face one of the major human mobility crises in recent history, and the dynamics are not static or homogenous. On the contrary, they represent new challenges for all states. We are extremely concerned about the risks that people undertake, risk face when they undertake this journey, security problems and harassment by non-state bodies and sometimes by those who represent authority. The state actions and protection mechanism social services in our region are overburdened. And so it is necessary and urgent that we put into place collective regional and global actions, which will avoid forced movement and irregular migration. We cannot do this alone. No one can. We are convinced of the importance of a comprehensive approach and cooperation between governments. The new government of Honduras, which is just 10 months into its term of office, has decided to work ceaselessly and giving priority at all times to the welfare and the enjoyment of human rights of all individuals. Honduras is a country that produces migrants. We are also a country of transit and return. And we, as a state, owe the serious effort of working on reintegration so that we provide opportunities for those who return to their land and that they are not forced to try and once more to follow a migration, which is insecure, uncertain and irregular. Honduras recognizes and thanks the IOM for the support provided. They have been a strategic ally in the management of human mobility in Honduras and throughout the world. We trust that this event will help us to mobilize support and to find and strengthen solutions on a national, regional and global level. Thank you very much. Thank you, Excellency. I now have column, the sexual home affairs of Mauritius, Mr. Umkumar Dabidin. Excellency of the floor. Thank you, Chairman. Chairperson, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates and Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning. Mauritius would like to express its appreciation to participate in this high level segment, which has us theme the intersection between climate change, food security, migration and displacement. At the outset, let me congratulate his Excellency Ambassador Giberi of Sierra Leone for his appointment as president for this session of the IOM Council and to Barbados for joining the IOM family. In less than one month from now, we'll celebrate the International Migrant Day on the 18th of December, 2022, which followed exactly 70 years after the Brussels conference leading to the establishment of IOM. After 17 years of existence, our team of the day is very much relevant as it reflects the main challenges facing our organization in its immediate and long-term future. Mauritius is a land of migrants for many countries present, as many countries present here, and therefore we are a product of migration. Migrants have made extraordinary contribution around the world and human mobility expected to increase further with the world estimates that there will be by 2015 more than 400 million international migrants. There is no ambiguity that global challenges are felt more by small island developing states like Mauritius which have lesser resources for deployment to some of the challenges and the challenges are compounded by the inherent vulnerabilities of the seeds. For climate change, seeds, although not being big carbon emitters have to face the consequences created by bigger countries which have large and curved footprints in emissions. For food security as a net food importing small island developing state, we are paying amongst others excessive post-COVID maritime transportation costs for our food stuff and medicines due to our remoteness and commercial restrictive practices. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Mauritius is both a source and destination country for international migration, safe, orderly and regular migration and aligns itself with sustainable development goal target 10.7 and as a leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister, His Excellency, Mr. Praveen Kumar Jagnat, Mauritius has formulated a migration and development policy of the Republic of Mauritius 2030 whereby 188, 158 policy measures have been initiated to contribute to our economic development. The migration and development policy has also supported the implementation of the 23 objective and the 10 guiding principle of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. We have successfully submitted our voluntary review report at the regional level in Malawi in April 2022 and participated at the International Migration Review Forum and made a statement at the United States, at the United Nations in May 2022. With respect to climate change, we know that safe migration and sustainable reintegration to address climate change impact on human mobility has been highlighted since 2010 at global level and the various platforms, namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. On 2030 agenda for sustainable development, global compact for migration and sundive framework for disaster risk reduction. The Paris Agreement has also acknowledged the impact of climate change on migrants and according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change, the greatest single impact of climate change could be human migration with millions of people displaced by the shoreline erosion, coastal flooding and agricultural disruption. We welcome the outcome of the COP 27 for strength and action to deep cut greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries and for finance, technology and capacity building needed by developing countries. One of the groundbreaking decision which is directly linked to migration is to establish new funding arrangement as well as a dedicated fund to assist developing countries in responding to loss and damage. The question that crosses our mind is how a small developing state like Modisa summons the challenges posed by climate change, food insecurity and migration. Here are a few points and questions that I would like to enumerate. What are the parameters to advocate for a holistic approach to migration and adaptation to climate change for a small island state? What does international committee contribute to support climate change and food insecurity mainstreaming across key sectors of seeds? In the nationally determined contribution of Modisa's submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in October 2021, Modisa's aims at an enhanced mitigation target of 40 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2030. We believe that there is a need for a vulnerability index of countries, particularly for seeds, to assess exposure levels and risk and how to deal with external hazards and critical elements such as meteorological issues and crop projection and disaster risk reduction and management and migration. In terms of recommendation, both long-term and short-term strategies are required, namely the consolidating of international advocacy towards developing appropriate policies to address cross-cutting issues of climate change, food insecurity and migration, the promotion of detailed technical capacity building for risk assessment that was mitigating and managing migration arising from climate change and food insecurity, the fostering of strong cooperation amongst state emergency preparedness plan and setting up of assistance program. Reassessment of the infrastructure, infrastructural resources and needs of small island developing state, including access to remote areas, additional water points, storage, transportation, distribution system, electricity, etc. Enhancing adaptive system to research and innovative ideas, for example, how to reorient the use of presently unproductive land and looking for alternative food system. Last but not least, the strengthening of the IOM structures and delivering the global architecture of migration management linked with climate change and food security. In this regard, having an international convention on migration, climate change and food security be discussed by international community with international interagency involvement. Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I'm convinced that following our exchange and sharing of views will have a clear vision on how to tackle the various issues. I thank you very much for your attention. Thank you, Excellency. The very pertinent questions for small vulnerable costuses. Thank you, Mauritius. I now have Vice Ministers of the Interior of the Middle East, Mr. Antonio Amindo, Excellency of the Floor. 113 IOM Council Chairperson, IOM Director-General Antonio Vitareno, Deputy Director-General Ugochi Daniels and Amy Pope, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. I begin expressing the appreciation of the governments of Timo Leste to the international organizations for migrations, which has had a strong presence in Timo Leste since 1999. IOM has also been instructed instrumental over the last 10 years in supporting disaster risk reductions and disaster risk management program in the country, include leading work on displacement tracking and data, protections and vulnerable persons in emergency and addressing gender-based violence in crisis. Climate-related risk in Timo Leste is primarily driving by vulnerable and coping capacity of the affected population. Today's sessions, focusing on climate change, food security, migrations and displacement is one that is imperative for Timo Leste. Timo Leste, a small island development state, is vulnerable to hazard related to shocks, including floods, drought, landslides, sea level rays and a strong wind giving its geography, topography and fragile infrastructure. Timo Leste is also susceptible to air quarts and tsunamis. Although the occurrence has been rare, cyclical climate events such as El Nino, certain oscillations, have seen related with anomalies, such as drought occur every couple of the year, as well as episodes of La Nina, resulting floods, landslides, coastal erosion as consequences of the seasonal monsoon, rains with a high intensity and prolonged wet season. Last year, cyclone Seroja, which is which hit the country in March, significantly devastated in the country. Coupled with the COVID-19, it had severe impact on agriculture, depending populations. We now face the worsening overall food security, an intensified weather related event, which is causing severe drought during the dry seasons and severe floods in landslides during the wet season. Timo Leste is pleased that COP 27 has developed a fund for loss and damages, as well as acknowledges that climate-induced displacement is a reality. Action support to countries such as Timo Leste, that is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, must be a priority. Without international support, Timo Leste will be unable to respond and be resilient to the climate crisis. Which has already been felt by our communities. Minimizing an address, the losses and damages is an urgent and global concern. This includes ensuring an evidence-based approach to understand displacement in the context of climate change and a better overriding framework that directly links natural disaster to climate change. Because no longer are those two phenomena separate, especially for a country like ours, and our very livelihood depends on it. In the context of the acute impacts of climate change, already we are seeing this is an increasing driver of not just internal migrations, but possibly also international migrations. For example, as a result of the loss of income in rural agriculture municipalities, they are driving to find economy, opportunities in urban areas such as Dili, causing challenges for urban planning as well as social services. Increasing unemployment in the country as the direct result of climate change, climate change impacting in tandem. This is a drive for irregular migrations as a criminal network prey on vulnerable groups. Gender bias violence and counter trafficking in the real concern is a real concern in Timor-Leste, especially in the context of displacement, disaster and climate change. Well, as migrations, displacements may be sensitive and controversial issues. Here in this forum of IOM, we feel we are amongst friends. IOM has consistently been supporting to address migrations management and disaster risk reductions in the country through a wide range of programs, including important ones, is now such as counter trafficking, working with vulnerable communities and groups and the border management. Human mobility displacement is a reality of climate change. And for a small island state such as Timor-Leste, we count on you to support our collectively efforts so we can develop solutions for the most affected. Thank you. Thank you, Excellency Timor-Leste. Thank you very much. I now have Deputy Minister of the Esperanto-Human Mobility of El Salvador, Miss Cindy Mariella Potter. Excellency, you have the floor. Excellent. Excellency Chair of the Council, Director-General of the IOM. Members of the IOM. Excellencies, delegates, members of the Civil Society, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to convey my gratitude and to wish you every success for the 113th Council Session of the IOM. Your work underscores the importance of this forum. Since IOM has been working in El Salvador since 1983, it has become one of the main partners whose work has contributed to projects and initiatives that contribute to improving the quality of life of Salvadoranians and the processes of migration and in other social contexts. Now, thanks to the leadership of the President Naib Bukal in my country is undergoing significant transformations in which we have a vision of a welfare state where the vulnerable are prioritised and all the work is around the care and wellbeing of each person. And partly for this reason, we recognise as a champion country of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, where the Salvadoranian commitment was underscored in order to address a structural reasons of regular migration in order to provide solutions to improve the living conditions of our people. Preserving the life of each and every person in the country is absolutely critical for us and therefore it's important to avoid that our people expose themselves in a regular pathway, whether they're at risk of danger or even to the worst extent of losing their lives. Also, holistic protection and attention for our administration is actually critical for the Salvadoranian diaspora. And this is what we acknowledge as essential for the development of our country. Let's leave behind a reductive vision where our compatriots were just simply sending back remittances. Let's give them a prioritised place in the development of the country, highlighting their work ethic and their ability to generate economic growth, well being, knowledge transfer and sharing of different cultures in their areas of residence and in the communities of origin. Thus, we have strengthened institutional capacities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as in other national institutions pertaining to our diaspora. We've also modernised and updated the Ministry of External Affairs in order to be more efficient and in order to provide the requests of and to meet the demands of the Salvadoran people who are transiting, returning and in their countries of destination, whilst upholding the full enjoyment of human rights. Tending to the commitment of our Salvador in terms of human mobility, we have strengthened the participation of the country in bilateral, regional and international spaces where have we have worked towards the upholding protection of human rights of all migrants and their families, acting in an agile opportunistic and efficient manner in order to meet the needs of those who are at different stages of the migratory process. This year, our Salvador is holding the chairmanship pro-temporary of the Regional Conference on Migration and it is put forward during its mandate, building new alliances and strengthening existing ones to consolidate the region as one of the most committed in the area of human mobility and to have more holistic cooperation and as a region which positions itself at the global level in terms of implementing actions for safe, orderly and regular migration. In this vein, we have forged spaces for dialogue and exchange of experiences with countries and international organizations in this domain and having a joint position at the International Migration Review Forum, which was held in New York in May this year. Dear friends, our Salvador has suffered the devastating impacts of different climactic events, both with torrential rains and droughts, which has meant that we have had a loss and damages which have hampered the economic development of our country. Faced with this devastating context, migration is one of the more visible impacts brought about by climate change in our country and across the region as part of fulfilling the international commitments that have been ratified by our country, such as the Paris Agreement. Al Salvador fosters a response to climate policies which address the issues of gender and the activities pertaining to adaptation, mitigation and implementation of nationally determined contributions. These contributions represent a strategic agenda of action to bring the SDGs to bear in the view in the areas of energy, transport, biodiversity, water resources, health, agriculture and conservation of forested areas. Likewise, the government of Al Salvador, together with UN agencies, NGOs, international cooperation agencies, representatives from the movement of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent all form part of the humanitarian countries team, which has set up the humanitarian response plan when faced with emergency situations. Added to this, we will address issues, pertaining to food, security and health, as well as putting in place actions to minimise the impact of climate and environmental impacts focused on providing a holistic response to other people in situations of human mobility. We would like to recommit, recommit once again, our resolve to continue working for our people, as well as positioning the rights of migrants and to uphold these rights in all areas. Thank you very much for listening. Thank you. Thank you very much. I now have the Honourable State Minister, the Minister of Justice of Ethiopia. His Excellency, Mr. Alimanti Aguilio won the main net. Excellency, you've got the floor. Sorry, the the list of speakers got scrambled. It's actually the State Secretary for the Political and Multilateral of Years, Economic Diplomacy and Development Corporation of Slovenia, Mr. Samuel Zoga. Excellency, you have the floor. I don't know how I'll confuse Slovenia with Ethiopia. Thank you. Dear Director General, dear colleagues, the international community needs to do more than it did at the recent COP. For many people, the world is already unlivable. The 2021 number of 20 plus million weather-related displaced people is overwhelming. And the number will only keep rising. This year's weather events were a brutal wake-up call for all of us. A healthy environment is a human right. The UN General Assembly recognized this right last July. The process leading to this recognition was a decade long. And Slovenia was in the core group of countries promoting it. If we are to prevent climate-related displacements, respect for this right is absolutely vital. Slovenia therefore welcomes the IOM's longstanding focus on climate and water. Your strong presence at the recent COP was very important, as is the inclusion of the notion on displacement into the COP cover decision. Slovenia was pleased to be part of your side event on building community resilience and addressing human mobility challenges. Indeed, boosting local resilience and local ownership is key. To this end, Slovenia has greatly increased its development assistance and financial support over the past year. We have doubled our climate funds and tripled our contribution for food security. We also pay special attention and contribute to the IOM's wash program. One of our most serious concerns is climate security, with its big impact on human mobility. Slovenia calls for its integration in the work of the Security Council, which should address it hand in hand with other UN organizations and bodies like IOM. The interconnection between climate and peace is often understood differently by different countries. We need to reach a common understanding, develop a common narrative and above all engage in effective action. If Slovenia is elected to the Security Council for 2024 and 25 term, it will advocate climate as a vehicle for human security and peace, along with the inclusion of women and marginalized groups. Women are the driving force behind both peace and climate. Ladies and gentlemen, the rapid increase of nature-related disasters is overwhelming and we, the international community, struggle to respond. Our capacities are stretched to the limit. However, mere responding is not enough. We must strive to prevent them, notably by rapidly cutting emissions. Similarly, we must stand together to better prevent conflicts as man-made disasters. Not only do they have a huge impact on human security, but they also affect the environment and food security. Like the current conflicts in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Haiti and other hotspots around the globe. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Slovenia. And I wish you well in here. First of all, the Security Council, we too are waiting for it and we should collaborate. Next on my list is the Chief of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Russian Federation, Ms. Valentina Kazakova. Excellency, you've got the floor. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director General, Ladies and gentlemen, Russian Federation pays great attention to the issue of international migration. As evidence, our country joined the International Organization for Migration as a full-fledged member. We appreciate the work of the IOM and its experience in solving various problems related to the migration agenda. We consider internationally coordinated efforts as a necessary condition for the solution of global migration challenges. In this regard, there is a high demand for the work of the IOM, which is one of the most important multilateral platforms for discussing and working on vital aspects of migration-related issues. We're interested in making use of the potential of the organization in order to improve the quality of regulation of international migration flows as well as to form positive and well-balanced international migration agenda. We expect the IOM will make every effort to efficiently answer to the migration challenges with respect to the common humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence, impartiality and humanity. According to the UN, the Russian Federation is one of the five countries with the largest number of migrants. About 10 to 12 million foreign citizens come to our country every year. The migration challenges faced by Russia are being resolved on the basis of balanced approaches formulated in Russia state migration policy concept, which largely corresponds to the goals and objectives of the global complex for safe orderly and regular migration supported by our country. Within the framework of the implementation of the concept, measures are taken to improve migration legislation aimed at simplifying the procedure of obtaining documents to be able to leave and work in Russia, acquire Russian citizenship, dismiss the chairman. The Russian Federation believes that the issue of the impact of climate change on migration processes definitely requires a further study conducted on a strictly non-political basis. We think that negative consequences of climate changes, while not being the main cause of false displacement of population on our planet, nevertheless in some instances can exacerbate migration problems and lead to false displacement. We are convinced that the Paris Agreement is a reliable basis for a lasting climate settlement. Russia is one of the leaders in the international climate process, both in terms of its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in terms of efforts undertaken to ensure the universal nature of the climate regime under the office of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We believe that the international community should not ease up its efforts to achieve the goals of the climate agenda, mobilizing financial assistance and transferring technology to developing countries for climate purposes are the key to ensuring that these countries intensify their efforts in this area. Mr. Chairman, food and security, malnutrition and starvation continue to be among the major challenges that humanity is facing nowadays. According to UN estimates, currently there is no abnormal shortage of food in the world, but there are serious problems with its distribution and price volatility. Rising prices on food markets could be a tragedy for most of the LDCs and may provoke waves of migrants searching a better life. Russia remains a responsible international food supplier. Russia grain exports in 2021 amounted to 43 million tons. Our country is ready to supply up to 50 million tons from the harvest of 2022 to foreign markets. Russian fertilizers and raw materials for their production are no less important. We are convinced that the humanitarian task of providing assistance to countries in need and reducing the threat of starvation should not be politicized. Ensuring unhindered access to Russian food and fertilizers to all markets will make it possible to achieve durable price stabilization, restored the normal function of supply chains. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that taking into account Russia's recently acquired status of a full-fledged member of the IOM, we look forward to developing a dialogue on key migration issues. Since Russian is the official language of the UN, we stand for giving official status to the Russian language in the IOM as well. Thank you for your attention. Thank you, Russia. I have the director general, directorate of immigration services of Kenya, Mr. Alexander Mtsishi in Benzy. Brother, you have the floor. Thank you, chair. Chairperson, honorable ministers and ambassadors, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the government of the Republic of Kenya, I'd like to thank the IOM leadership for the opportunity to participate in this high-level segment of the IOM Council meeting to discuss the very timely theme of climate change, food security, migration and displacement. May I also congratulate all the officials on their deserve a election and I extend a warm welcome to the government of Barbados for joining this great organization. The 113rd session of the Council meeting is a follow-up to the just concluded 27th session of the conference of the parties meeting, which reached a historic decision to establish a fund to assist developing countries to respond to laws in damage caused by climate change and laid the foundations for a new method of solidarity between those in need and those in a position to help. Kenya is committed to following through with the implementation of the outcomes and decisions of this conference. Honorable Chair, the world is reeling from the staggering impact of climate change. The spread, scale and frequency of climate-induced disasters in numerous regions of all continents indicate that humanity is confronting unprecedented devastation on a global scale and it is important to act together. Kenya and Africa in general contribute in significant levels of the pollution responsible for climate change. The irony is that they continue to endure the worst effects of climate change. Kenya continues to experience poor seasons over the past two years drastically reducing crop yields by between 20 to 40 percent. Our zero staples production has stagnated and remained below 4.3 million metric tons, far below our consumption needs of about 7.0 million metric tons. Food commodity prices have steadily been rising due to global trends. The ongoing drought situation in the country has occasioned losses to the pastoralist communities. The National Drought Management Authority estimates that some 2.5 million livestock have died this year, amounting to economic losses of more than US dollars 1.5 billion and affected the food security of the country, occasioning 4.3 million to be food insecure. In his address to the COP 27 on 8 November 2022, the president of the Republic of Kenya observed that climate change has occasioned food insecurity by disruption of food supply chains, leading to escalating grain prices, fertilizers and energy costs. This situation becomes a trigger for migration and displacement. At this conference, Kenya committed to a wide range of climate change intervention measures, including increasing tree cover from the current 21 percent to 30 percent by 2032, reduction of emissions by 32 percent by 2030, net zero emissions by 2050 and 100 percent clean energy transition by 2030. Climate change is a major course of human mobility, transhumans and displacements among communities in Kenya and the East African region. Migrants displaced by climate change from other countries, especially within the Horn of Africa, cross borders as asylum seekers or as persons in transit to other countries while others remain displaced in the country. The phenomenon of rising water levels in the Lake Victoria and Rift Valley lakes attributable to climate change has displaced approximately 75,987 households in 13 countries, counties with a total population of 379,935, requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. Honourable Chair, Kenya is committed in the fight against climate change has demonstrated by the following actions. One, enactment of legal and policy frameworks aligning itself to global and regional climate change practice, a national adaptation plan and national climate change fund act and policy 2018. Two, being the coordinator of the Committee of African Heads of States and government on climate change. Three, having co-hosted the fifth session of UNEA in March 2022, the international meeting on Stockholm plus 50 in June 2022 in Stockholm, Sweden and the second UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, July 2022. In conclusion, Chair, we wish to reiterate our responsibility to increase implementation of innovative and sustainable climate change interventions undergarded by inclusive and whole of government society approaches, design climate mitigation measures including early warning systems and strategies that address food insecurity, migration and displacement imperatives, including capacity building of all stakeholders. The Council meeting should also be a platform to renew our collective commitment to respond to effects of climate on food to the effects of climate change on food insecurity. Climate induced migration and displacement by mobilizing available resources, both financial and personnel. Thank you. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you, Kenyan. I now have the Deputy Director General for International Corporation for Netherlands, Mrs. Brigitte Tazila. You have the floor. Thank you, Chair. Unfortunately, I can't be with you in person today, but I'm happy to be virtually part of this important moment. Chair, I will have to start with a grim picture. Climate change, environmental degradation and disasters they're all reshaping migration patterns worldwide. And these effects are predicted to persist, intensify and create new risks. Recent reports predicted by 2050, 216 million people could be displaced due to climate change. With that in mind, we welcome the IM strategy on migration, environment and climate change. But it's not just climate change. People are on the move for many reasons to name a few instability, protected conflicts, poverty and inequality. In 2022, one in 30 people is a migrant and more than one hundred million people are forcibly displaced. The entire world is grappling with these challenges. It's only through partnership that we can face the road ahead. For the Netherlands, it's important that the people affected by war, climate change and food insecurity are walking besides us on that path. Resilience and ownership at local level are crucial. IOM's work needs to be deeply rooted in societies she works with. We encourage IOM to prioritize this and commend the ongoing work on community based planning. Chair 2022 wasn't all grim. In 2022, we saw a fruitful International Migration Review Forum. We jointly concluded that only through those partnerships and close partnerships, we can achieve safe and orderly migration. We call on IOM to collaborate closely with us in the follow up discussions. This includes the establishment of GCM indicators. And I'm very pleased to announce today that the Netherlands will continue to support these efforts, also financially. We will be making a contribution of approximately one and a half million euros to the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Funds before the end of the year. Chair, we also look back at a successful year for the Compass Initiative. Together with IOM and 14 partner countries, we achieved results to protect people on the move. To combat human trafficking and smuggling and support a dignified return and sustainable reintegration. We're proud to say that while entering its third year of implementation, Compass has supported more than 30,000 migrants. We're very much looking forward to continuing this cooperation. Chair, with all the complex challenges that lie ahead, IOM has to be fit for purpose. We acknowledge the International Governance Framework and Budget Reforms and the progress achieved so far. For the Netherlands, both oversight and the internal justice system should have absolute priority when implementing budget reforms. Chair, I would like to thank Dio Vittorino for his comprehensive report to the Council. The Netherlands encourages IOM to continue its efforts and remains committed to our frank and constructive cooperation. Thank you. Thank you very much, Netherlands. Thank you. Next on my list is the Deputy Director of the National Migration Service. Of Panama, Ms. Maria Isabel Saravia, and that's the last member states on my list. We have done very well with time. You have the floor. Thank you very much and good day. Panama is a country of good and noble people and under the leadership of our President, Laurentino Cortiso Cohen and our Vice President, Jose Daniel Cortiso. We have given the face of humanity to irregular migration. Our leaders have shown us their trust and we'd like to thank the international community and call for joint efforts to raise awareness of the need to create strategies to tackle a regional humanitarian crisis. The pandemic increased the number of people undergoing mobility. Panama did not escape the reality. There was an increase in irregular migratory flow that cross our inhospitable Darien jungle area, the national park, which is part of the heritage of the world. And we found during the health crisis of COVID-19 that we had many people stuck in our country when borders were closed and movement was stopped. Darien is not a welcoming region. And so the population took on in a courageous and committed way the strengthening of humanitarian aid with an unprecedented situation and which brought us an increase of irregular migration flows. We have fought against trafficking and smuggling of migrants to provide security to migrants. We must also ensure they enjoy their human rights. Irregular migratory flows was less than 10,000 people in the past and it moved up to more than 300 and 30,000 in 2021. And we have now got more than 222,000 migrants of more than 60 nationalities, including from other continents. So this has been a huge increase in recent years and it also involves children and adolescents. There are particular needs that add to the burden for our indigenous peoples. So we needed to urgently improve the migratory reception centres in San Vicente and we have made that a reality. It's true that we're moving from words to action. We are a country that serves with a humanitarian vocation, but we need sufficient resources to be able to deal with the situation. And we also need coordination and collaboration with a shared responsibility of states. And we also need to work and assist with voluntary return of those who wish to do so and request it every day. Panama is a country of transit for migrants. But in 2020 our migrant population was around 10.5 percent. And we see the numbers growing and we will soon have new figures available. We're a country that also faces the consequences of climate change. And we've seen three islands that have been covered because of rising sea levels. And we've had to move the inhabitants from there. And we see that this is a multidimensional complex issue that we face. Before the United Nations General Assembly, we heard that migration is the responsibility of all irregular migration is a historic and constant issue. We must work together. In order to protect the human rights of migrants, we need to work on the structural causes of migration. We need to remove the incentives for irregular migration. And we need to provide a dignified situation for migrants and in particular, take care of the most vulnerable children and young people. We must ensure that we have safe, orderly and regular migration to serve humanity. Thank you. Thank you. Excellency, thank you, Panama. You know, I was in a lovely country a couple of weeks ago for Co-op 17. Thank you. The last speaker I have is Mr. Excellency, Mr. Hussain Rahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Excellency, have the floor. Mr. President. Chair of the IOM Council, Director-General of the IOM, your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished participants, I am very happy to address this important high level segment on the intersection between climate change, food security, migration and displacement. By organizing this meeting, we see that there is reflection on this triptych of climate change, security in food and displacement. IOM is looking at the complex relationship between the three phenomena and recalls the threat that they pose for human security. So the depth of climate change weighs heavy on our planet and is an existential threat and is a major concern for the international community, as was widely shown at the 27th Conference of the Parties, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was recently held in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. More and more elements converge and show us that climate change is becoming a further factor in food insecurity, in displacement and migration, be they internal or cross-border. They are just like conflict. Climate change is a source of disturbance for the food supply chains and leads to the increase in price of cereals, fertilizers and energy. This situation often leaves to an increase in the risks for communities that are already exposed and it creates humanitarian emergencies that are ever more serious. Therefore, according to the World Bank's projections, the consequences that are ever more serious of climate change could force between 140 and 250 million people to move within their countries or immigrate by 2050. In addition to the direct consequences of the more and more frequent natural disasters and climate change is also feeding to the other causes of displacement, such as the increase in poverty, food insecurity, lack of water and access to other natural resources, which communities depend on for their livelihoods. These multiple phenomena hit the economies of countries as well as household budgets and the environmental disasters combined with political and socioeconomic issues can lead the most fragile countries into a cycle of crises which will exacerbate instability and existing fragility. And this means that people are forced to migrate looking for new and better opportunities. In the face of the seriousness of the situation, it's urgent that we intensify national, regional and international efforts to face up to the challenges of human mobility linked to climate change. In order to do this, the global compact of migration represents a suitable framework to integrate the environmental factors to all aspects of migration, such as prevention, preparation and response to displacement, as well as border management. So several actions which are urgent to undertake are at the basis of greater climate justice. Financing for more foreseeable and transparent work is essential in order to help countries and communities that are most affected to prevent forced migration which come about through environmental factors. And we need to find sustainable solutions. It's also important to facilitate migration by following the principles set out in the global compact of migration within the framework of adaptation to climate change. Indeed, migration can also be an adaptation strategy in the face of extreme events and the transfer of funds from migrants back to their country of origin can help increase resilience in their communities. For the IOC, climate change and their effects are a major subject which must take into account the growing and significant number of states exposed to the climate emergency, food insecurity, migration and other forms of displacement. This equation of injustice most severely hits member countries such as Pakistan, facing unprecedented floods Somalia and countries in the Sahel region facing a cycle of drought which is endless and provokes food insecurity and risks serious famine. That's why with the aim of better contributing to international efforts to reduce, mitigate and adapt to climate change and to limit its impact on vulnerable communities, in particular those who are displaced. The IOC has set significant goals in the areas of the environment, climate change, sustainability, agriculture and food security within its action programme 2016 to 2025. The achievement of these goals requires a strong commitment and joint efforts of the IOC, its institutions and member states. So within this spirit, we also call on all international actors to redouble their efforts and to work together in order to reduce the factors which are the basis of climate change and the urgent management of their consequences in order to limit significantly their impact on food security and population displacement. Thank you for listening. Thank you. Just as I was about to hand over to the Director General for closing remarks, I got information from the Secretariat where we have a video message from the Minister of Interior and decentralisation of the Chair. One of the nodal points, of course, of the impact of climate change in West Africa and in Sahel. His Excellency, Mr. Hamadou Adamo Suley. We'll shoot a video. Thank you. I'm the President of the Council. Chairman of the Council of the International Organization for Migration, Mr. Antonio Vittorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, ladies and gentlemen, ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen. The issue of climate change and its significant consequences on migration, food insecurity and internal displacements of populations are more and more becoming a reality on the agenda of national and international policy. Since 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel of Experts on Climate Change was stating that the most significant impact of climate would be felt within human migration. And this forecast is today more real than ever. We are at a point where climate change is becoming one of the major causes of migration throughout the world. Niger, a country of the Sahel region where 80% of our population is dependent on agriculture and livestock farming is particularly vulnerable to climate change within the measure to the extent that this directly affects their sectors just as it does fisheries and the use of timber resources, which are the major sources of production and support for populations. The food and forage shortages that Niger experiences each year due to the irregularity or poor timing of rains, both in territory and in time means that cycles of drought and flooding are characteristic and these are directly linked to climate change. In addition, our President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Bazoum in his recent speech at COP 27 in November 22 described the upheaval resulting from climate change in Niger. Within Africa, the Sahel is without doubt the region that presents the greatest vulnerabilities and which requires specific and special treatment in the face of the combined challenges. It is a matter of challenges that are of various nature, security, climate, migration, healthcare, food and demographic. In the report on the state of the environment in Niger published in 2020, the major climate phenomenon are seen as floods, drought, sandstorm, extreme temperatures and violent wind, which drastically affects production. The consequences of this climate change can be translated into an abandonment of the spaces that are affected and internal or external migration to neighboring countries and beyond. In the same sense, when we think about productive activity in particular in agriculture, we see that livelihoods of populations are lost and they are left with no choice, but to search elsewhere for a better future. Aware of these risks, Niger has since 1998 had a national sustainable development plan for the environment, which is coordinated by an executive secretariat in 2006. The first national action plan for adaptation allowed us to create an inventory of all the climate. Extremes that Niger faces. At the same time, Niger has signed and ratified most of the regional and international legal instruments related to the environment and climate change. These various instruments are taken into account in our national reference documents for development, in particular the economic and social development plan, the 3N initiative, where we feed our own people the national policy on migration. So this and our five-year plan are the framework for all actions in the area of migration, where we link to 23 goals in the global compact. Its implementation will allow us to respond more effectively to the challenges of displacement and the consequences of climate change. To conclude, I would like to thank the IOM for the perfect organization of this segment, and I would like to express the government's gratitude. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Niger. Before closing this agenda item, I would like to give a call to the director for some closing remarks. I yield a call to you, Digi. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair, and good morning to all of you. I would start by, of course, thanking all the ministers, deputy ministers, I, representatives of four member states that have accepted our invitation to participate in this high-level dialogue on an issue that for IOM is definitely a top priority. Allow me to express, first of all, three lessons that I take from the debate. The first one is that from what I heard attentively, there is a very wide recognition that the links between climate change, food insecurity, migration and forced displacement are undisputable. Our concern is not to know how many people are displaced because of food insecurity or because of climate change directly or indirectly. Our main purpose is to call your attention upon the fact that all these factors interact among them, and they all have a role in existing trends of displacement. Therefore, we need to look it in a comprehensive and integrated way. We have heard voices of countries explaining to us that climate change is changing the pattern of food production, and that is a huge challenge for rural areas in a large number of countries. But also we have heard countries explaining to us that the changes that are occurring in the rural areas because of climate change are driving people towards the cities. It's part of an urbanization process, challenging the functioning of the cities because those cities are not prepared to receive such a high number of persons, and we should not forget that movement of people has also a migratory toll. When people move, there are, sorry, an environmental toll. When people move, there are impacts on the environment, and when people move massively, there are widespread impacts on the environment. So our concern is to have a comprehensive and integrated view of all these factors and to interact among them and how they generate forced displacement. And my second lesson, I think that this is an issue that is shared by countries all over the world, north and south, east and west, more developed and less developed countries. And I want to praise the Egyptian presidency of COP 27 for having allowed these voices to be expressed during COP and for having included in the cover note in the implementation plan, the critical references that will allow all of us to go on with this fruitful dialogue. And the fact that there is a new agenda item on loss and damage is definitely a breakthrough decision on this dialogue for the future. And my third lesson is that even if we recognize that climate change is having worldwide impacts, it was very enriching for us, IOM, to understand that the impacts are context specific. We need to take into consideration that the impacts of climate change are different from one place to the other. Whether we are dealing with floods or we draw, where we are dealing with typhoons or cyclones, with the rise of the waters of the sea, with the salinization of the lands, with the erosion of the coastal areas. And IOM is an organization particularly well positioned to understand this because of our extensive footprint and also because of our culture as an organization. We do not deal with these issues with one fits all approach. We do recognize that the way to address the challenge need to be context specific. They need to adapt to the realities in the field and to follow as a guideline the vulnerabilities as the main criteria. Vulnerabilities of the small island development states are different from the vulnerabilities of the landlocked less developed countries or from the LDCs in general or from the coastal countries. And we need to find the replies, answers to these specific problems that different countries are confronted with addressing those vulnerabilities and finding the most adequate and suitable solutions for each case. Those are the three lessons. So where we go from here? What is the output of this debate? I will propose to the member states of IOM three lines of action. The first one is definitely we need to value prevention and disaster risk reduction. That is a critical issue because we have all come to the conclusion that climate change will impact all countries all over the world. Prevention, preparedness, early warning systems that will allow us to identify what are the most vulnerable regions and therefore what are our priorities. And I think that a critical issue in this respect is how can we persuade the populations that live in risky areas to engage in preparedness, early warning and building the resilience for adaptation. And here from our experience all over the world, a key role has to be played by women and youth. Women and youth are usually in the communities, in the front line of raising awareness of vulnerabilities and being mobilized to prepare for adaptation. And this is the first line that I would suggest to you that we should follow. The second line is of course cooperation. Regional cooperation, bilateral cooperation, international cooperation. But when it comes to international cooperation we need to understand that people affected by climate change do not want to move. They might be forced to this place but they are not willing to move. And therefore we need to look at migration has a coping strategy, particularly through regular pathways but it's just one part of the story because the vast majority of the people impacted by climate change they do not want to move. But when they are forced to move we have to look at them in two different perspectives. The first one is the short term. Those people who are forced to move because of climate change they need to benefit from life-saving assistance. That's very much an emergency action. That's very much an humanitarian assistance approach. That's what we have been doing now in Somalia because of the drought or being doing in Pakistan because of the floods. But we cannot just stop there. We need to recognize that there is a need to focus on durable solutions for the people that are displaced because of climate change. In some cases it will not be possible to return to the regions of origin. And therefore whether in another rural setting or in an urban setting durable solutions need to be on our radar. And this is the point where climate change intersects with the internal displacement agenda. And we need to bring the two things together. It's very interesting to see that from the 18 countries that have been selected by the Secretary-General as being the focus of the internal displacement agenda the majority of them are countries affected by climate change and conflict at the same time. In security tensions among communities non-state armed groups operating in a climate change environment whether it is in Sudan, South Sudan or Somalia in the Eastern or North Africa where it is in the sale. And last but not least my third point of action it's about funding. I welcome the decision taken in COP 27 to create a loss and damage fund definitely. Let's be frank among us. These kind of decisions take time to implement. There will be now a conversation that will lead us to COP 28 where the fund will be framed, negotiated and finally formally decided. So the question is how can we look to funding before that in the short term, in the immediate term. And I think that there are some key issues to build upon. First, the decision has been taken to double the funds for adaptation within the existing envelope of 100 billion that has been decided in the Paris Agreement. So the priority to be attributed to adaptation needs to be translated into access to funding within the existing tools. The second issue is that I've heard from many countries and IOM has been fully involved in the preparation of COP 27. I've heard from many countries the voice that it is extremely complex and difficult to access to the existing green funding available within the Paris Agreement. So one key question is the international community willing to facilitate the access to green funding right away. Instead of staying expecting for a new fund, let's focus on the existing resources. And the existing resources need to be flexibilized, need to be more accessible to the countries that are in need. And my last remark is about other stakeholders. We need to be better focused on mobilizing the private sector. And I have heard also from many corporations in the private sector that they are willing and prepared to engage in coping with the impacts of climate change in the humanitarian and development sector, the private sector therefore, but also the multilateral development banks. I think that we need to be fair and recognize that multilateral financial institutions have been slow to incorporate in their strategies the impacts of climate change. And we need to have a better support, a more proactive support, whether from the World Bank, whether from the International Monetary Fund, whether for the multilateral development banks, regional multilateral development banks. So I think that working together with the other UN agencies, with you member states, we will be able to translate the major breakthrough of COP 27 into concrete action in the years to come to respond to the needs of those populations that are severely eaten by climate change already today. Thank you so much. Thank you, Digi. Thank you, and I would like to thank all delegations for their participation and for sharing their visions, their experiences, and their expectations. Thank you very much. This concludes this agenda item. I think we might need a shuffling of seats and some... Just to change the setting for the agenda item 9. We're coming back just to have the floor as it should, and we'll continue with agenda item 9. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we are now on agenda item 9, and it's very important. So after that, we'll break for lunch. And so if that's an incentive for us to do it fast, that's a bit... And this agenda item concerns the dates for the next sessions. The administration has tentatively identified following dates. The 32nd section of the Standing Committee on Programs and Finance to take place in the second half of June 2023. And the third section of the Standing Committee on Programs and Finance for late October 2023. And the next regular session of council in late November 2023. Regarding the sixth special session of the council, a revised draft resolution C113L6REV1, I suppose it should be on the boundaries... Ah, yes, yes, yes. Has been issued this morning, and this draft relates to the upcoming election for the director general. The draft resolution provides for the sixth special session of the council to be held before the end of July 2023, taking into account the dates of official holidays of the United Nations. There are indicative months up there on the screen. If there are no objections to these tentatives, these tentatives will be adopted, and a more detailed calendar will be distributed in early 2023. So there is the draft resolution up on the... I'll give you a few minutes to read and ponder, and then I'll ask whether to adopt the resolution. Oh, is it Canada? Oh, no. United States, you have the floor. Thank you very much. Being so far away from the front screen, Mr. Chairman, I was wondering if you could put the resolution up on the second screen back here. Thank you very much. So I'll have to read it very slowly. The draft resolution on convening a special session of the council, submitted by the Secretariat to the Council for consideration on the item nine of the Provision Agenda C1131, as follows. The council, taking into consideration the provisions of Article 13 of the constitution, considering that in accordance with resolution number 1365 of 29 June 2018, the time of the office of the present director general began on 1 October 2018 for a period of five years. One decides to meet in the special session before the end of July 2023 at the call of each chairperson in order to proceed with the election of a director general. Two, notes that the date of the special session should take into account the dates of official holidays of the United Nations. Three, requests the chairperson to address the council of the date of the special session as soon as possible. So those are the words. I mean, it should be before the end of July. It could be way earlier than that. But that will have to be decided in the bureau. Is that agreeable? The floor is open. OK, so let me just extemporize a little bit on some of the thinking behind this. There are a number of indicative months. There's May, there was towards the end of June and early July. But those months, end of June, early July coincides with the Islamic, I think the Eid, end of Eid, and which can go on for some time. So we will not be particularly suitable. And also in June, of course, there will be the Human Rights Council, which does, I mean, whether we like it or not, sucks most of the air in the room here in Geneva. We have ministers coming and heirs of delegations, mostly with those ministers. And so it wouldn't be extremely very effective to have a session, and at that time it would be quite difficult. But it could be done. The other thing that the bureau had before this meeting today was that we have two internal candidates. And we want to avoid, as best as possible, sort of, I mean, the work of IOM is indispensable to many of our countries. And we want that, the full cost of the organization, to be on that work and not to have a prolonged period of lecturing involving two top leaders of the organization. So it can bring it even a week forward. This will not be unhelpful. So the month of May around mid-March, there is availability around mid-May to have that session. And that seems to have been a sort of preference for most members of the bureau. But that's not, we don't make a decision. The Council does make that decision. But these are the thinking. It will allow for enough time for candidates to make their case. It will make for enough time for any margin candidate to also have time to do so. And certainly save the organization at least a few weeks to focus on the indispensable work of IOM. Those are the thinking, factual, objective from me and from the bureau. So the Council in general has the opportunity now to look at it and to reflect on those things and to make a decision. C-D-U-S, that says the other floor. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And we very much welcome your explanation behind this draft decision. At this point, we were wondering whether or not we could use the lunch hour to further deliberate amongst ourselves and perhaps with others and with capitals and then come back to this at the beginning of the afternoon session. Thank you. Thank you, United States. Thank you. The floor is open. United States Kingdom. Thank you, Chair. The UK did not raise our flag. I, can you, United States Kingdom, you have the floor. I apologize, Chair, but we did not ask for the floor. Hey, I think there's no, well, there's no flag raised. Well, I can't see it. Oh, there's Canada, yes. Thank you, Chair. Thank you for your comments on the possibility of bringing the election forward. We think it's an interesting idea to explore. It's certainly one where we would want to have the opportunity to consult other member states and also really have the views of the candidates and the impacts this may have on the campaigns that they're planning. So very difficult to respond to that without some time for consideration to make sure an earlier date is fair and takes into consideration the views of member states and candidates, so thank you. Thank you, Canada. The priorities did float these days without the Philippines. Yes. Thank you, Chair. We also urge for more consultations on the date of the elections. Thank you. Thank you, Philippines. The floor is still open. I see no more raised flags. So we'll take the suggestion from the US, Canada and Philippines to consult through the break, the launch break. We shall be back here at 3 and hopefully we'll have, hopefully we'll have, we'll take a decision on this draft resolution. But the only frankly imperative determinant for the Bureau was the fact that we don't want to have a date that clashes with a major religious event or date and be, this is not only important, that we want to save enough time for complete focus on the work of the IOM, which is indispensable to many of us. So the preference frankly of the Bureau then was for me and me. But we'll, so ponder over it and when we come back, let's have a decision. Thank you. So now we can take a launch break.