The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will contribute towards Pacific socio-economic recovery through safe resumption of border management operations and enhanced seamless border management infrastructure technology, equipment, and improved capacity, thanks to over USD 6.9 million in funding from the Government of Japan.

The funding, available from now until 2024, will enable IOM to work closely with the Pacific Immigration Development Community (PIDC) and the Governments of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The funding will primarily support the implementation of the Project for Enhancing the Border Management Capacity for Responding to Infectious Diseases in Pacific Island Countries, which aims to strengthen immigration and border management infrastructure, equipment, and technology for safe border reopening in the Pacific region.

The project will also seek to improve immigration and border management systems in the eight target countries through enhanced strategy, knowledge, and skills of respective border agencies to safely manage borders to prevent and respond to public health crises.

The project strongly aligns with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Continent, which will contribute towards building a resilient Pacific Region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives.

At the signing ceremony at IOM HQ in Geneva, earlier this week, António Vitorino, IOM Director General thanked the Government of Japan for this important contribution, saying it will go a long way in supporting the seven Pacific countries in their post-COVID recovery strategies.

Honsei Koso, ambassador and deputy permanent representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Geneva expressed the commitment of his country to address the urgent matters the Asia Pacific region faces regarding human mobility.

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For more information, please contact Itayi Viriri at IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at iviriri@iom.int