Paraguay - This week, during an official visit in Paraguay, IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson met with Paraguay President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara and senior Paraguayan officials to affirm IOM’s support on migration issues.

She was accompanied by IOM Regional Director for South America Diego Beltrand and IOM Paraguay Head of Office Richard Velázquez.

During her meeting with President Cartes, Ambassador Thompson affirmed IOM’s willingness to support government efforts to modernize migration management in Paraguay, including the creation of modern, integrated migration policies and laws. She also affirmed IOM’s commitment to continue working with the government on a common migration agenda.

Ambassador Thompson also met with Interior Minister Francisco de Vargas; Minister of Foreign Affairs Eladio Loizaga; Minister of Labor Guillermo Sosa; Minister Secretary of Social Action Héctor Cárdenas; Minister Secretary of Refugees and Repatriation Luis Alberto Servin; and Jorge Kronawetter, Director of the General Directorate of Migration. She also met with the President of Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Velázquez, and the President of the Committee on Immigration Affairs and Development, Esmérita Sánchez.

Ambassador Thompson and Minister of Foreign Affairs Loizaga signed a cooperation agreement which will facilitate joint action between IOM and the Ministry in matters including migration management, policies and training for government officials, and strategies to fight human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants.

In the meeting with Interior Minister de Vargas and DG Kronawetter, IOM’s support for a new policy and migration law that under development, including consultations with civil society, academia and state institutions, was discussed. Ambassador Thompson also congratulated Paraguay on its hosting of the 10th Inter-sessional Meeting of the South American Conference on Migration (SCM) to be held next week in Asunción.

For more information please contact Juliana Quintero at IOM Buenos Aires, Tel: +54 113 24 8134, Email: juquintero@iom.int. Or Eduardo Carrillo at IOM Asuncion, Tel:  +595 981 509 020, Email: ecarrillo@iom.int