Statement by India during the informal consultations on the IOM DDG appointment issue - Delivered by Dr. Sadre Alam, First Secretary

(Geneva, 2 October 2019)

Mr. Director General (DG),

We thank you for convening these informal consultations on this important issue and submitting your ideas and proposals regarding the appointment of Deputy Directors General in lieu of election.

2. The amendments proposed by you in this regard may or may not constitute a fundamental change in the IOM constitution or entail new obligations for Member States depending on the details of the proposal and its full implications.

3. We would be interested in knowing more from the Secretariat about the existing practice in the UN system with regard to appointment of top-level officials and how IOM, a UN related organization now, could learn or benefit from it. This would not only ensure consistency with rest of the UN system but also save valuable time by avoiding the need to reinvent the wheel. A detailed non-paper presenting the various options submitted well in advance of the upcoming 110th session of the IOM council would be the first step in this direction for an informed discussion and decision by it, preferably by consensus.

4. According to a UN report, in some UN organizations Member States are directly involved in selecting and appointing top echelon officials. In IAEA, for instance, candidates for the posts of DDG are sought in consultation with Member States' permanent missions. In ITU, the five top officials are elected by the conference. The DDG in UPU is also elected by the Congress of the organization. Prior approval by, or advice from, the relevant governing bodies with regard to appointment of top level officials is required in a number of agencies. For e.g. in WMO, the Secretary General presents to the Executive Council for its approval the names and qualifications of his proposed appointees for the posts of DSG and ASG before proceeding with the appointment. In ICAO, Member States, through an ad hoc Commission appointed by the Council, provide advice to the Secretary-General on applications for Director posts. In WIPO, the DDGs are appointed after approval by the Coordination Committee, one of the governing bodies of the organization.

5. Needless to add that in any future process related to the appointment of the IOM DDG, there should be a role for the IOM council which should be clearly delineated in addition to providing guidelines for the DG. Further, any move from an election based to a selection based process for appointment of the DDG would have to be informed of the need to ensure in the IOM senior management, diversity and geographical balance and rotation which are well-established UN principles and practices in this regard. These should be reflected in the suggested amendments to the IOM constitution and/or the related rules of procedure of the governing bodies.

6. Lastly, we would like to underline that all our efforts should result in a more strong, effective and responsive IOM which is Member State led and driven.

Thank you.

****