Kolonia – The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM’s) Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Sarah Lou Ysmael Arriola, recently concluded her first official visit to the Micronesia sub-region where she met Heads of States, senior government officials, donor representatives and partners. In her packed itinerary, RD Arriola sought to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss areas of cooperation on climate change and mobility in the region.  

Accompanied by IOM Micronesia Chief of Mission Salvatore Sortino, RD Arriola visited the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Republic of Palau from 31 July to 15 August 2023. 

RD Arriola began her trip to the North Pacific with a visit to Majuro, RMI where she paid a courtesy visit to the Council of Iroj, RMI’s committee of traditional leaders, and met with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wilbur Heine.   

RD Arriola then met with David Kabua, the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. President Kabua welcomed RD Arriola and expressed his appreciation for the lasting partnership between RMI and IOM. The President noted the upsurge in out-migration trends and highlighted how climate change remains a major concern for the RMI Government and communities. 

RD Arriola reaffirmed that tackling climate change is a priority for IOM, referring to the resolutions recently passed by the Human Rights Council which recognize that vulnerable populations and people on the move require special protections in the face of climate crises, including loss and damage deriving from natural hazards.  

President Kabua and RD Arriola then attended an exhibition in Majuro where IOM showcased its work in 20 atolls and four islands of RMI including in climate security, capacity building for women entrepreneurs and community-based disaster risk reduction. 

RD Arriola was also received by the newly elected President of the Federated States of Micronesia, Wesley W. Simina, on the sidelines of his visit to Chuuk State. President Simina thanked IOM for its dedicated effort to strengthen capacities of communities as well as emergency management agencies to withstand hazard events, particularly under its reconstruction assistance program in Chuuk State.  

RD Arriola expressed IOM’s firm commitment to work together with the Government of FSM to address the needs of communities affected by disasters as well as slow onset climate impacts. During the meeting, Sortino also updated the President and his delegation on IOM’s ongoing operations in Chuuk State, mobilizing construction materials and, with the engagement of affected communities through Community Working Groups, reconstructing homes and renovating public facilities severely damaged by disaster. The reconstruction assistance project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  

RD Arriola also met Chuuk State Governor, Alexander R. Narruhn and discussed ongoing IOM projects in Chuuk State including a water, sanitation and hygiene project supported by the Government of Japan. 

Prior to visiting Chuuk, RD Arriola stayed in Pohnpei, FSM’s capital State, where she met with Ricky Cantero, Foreign Affairs Deputy Secretary as well as Reed B. Oliver, Pohnpei State Governor, to better gauge needs specific to Pohnpei State, and FSM in general, and ways in which IOM can strengthen assistance and harness existing opportunities for people on the move.  

RD Arriola concluded her trip to Micronesia with a visit to Koror, Palau where she met with Surangel S. Whipps, President of the Republic of Palau. They discussed ways IOM’s expertise can be leveraged to help Palau improve its systems and institutions in the areas of migration management, border management and diaspora engagement.  

Whilst in Palau, RD Arriola also met with Uduch Sengebau Sr., Vice President of the Republic of Palau and Minister of Justice and Chair of the National Emergency Committee. They discussed ways of expanding programs geared towards the empowerment and protection of women and girls and strengthening anti-human trafficking programs in Palau.   

In addition to her meetings with the Heads of States of the three countries, the Regional Director held discussions with senior government officials, diplomatic missions and community leaders about shared priorities and areas for better collaboration. In her discussions, RD Arriola expressed IOM’s firm commitment to working with the Government and people of the FSM, RMI and Palau to build capacities to withstand climate-related shocks and respond to human security needs of vulnerable groups and migrants. 

To strengthen coordination among United Nations agencies present in the region and explore opportunities for joint programing, Ms. Arriola further met with Yaap van Hierden, UN Resident Coordinator, during his visit to Koror and met with the UN Country Team in Kolonia, Pohnpei.  

Notably, in FSM and Palau, RD Arriola met and engaged with beneficiaries and visited program sites in the field including water catchment systems installed in Piedie, FSM, women entrepreneurs in Kitti, FSM, and reinforced emergency evacuation shelters in four communities in Palau.  

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For more information, please contact at IOM Micronesia: Haimanot Abebe, Email:  haabebe@iom.int, +691 320 8735