HRH Crown Prince meets with IOM Director General

Manama, Mar. 8 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today received the Director General of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), His Excellency William Lacy Swing, at Gudaibiya Palace. During the meeting, His Royal Highness emphasised that Bahrain, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad, continues to strengthen cooperation with a range of United Nations (UN) bodies, including the IOM, in order to achieve its development goals. His Royal Highness noted that the modernisation of Bahrain’s legislative and legal systems, achieved through the vision and directives of His Majesty King Hamad, has made an important contribution to the Kingdom’s sustainable development and aligned Bahrain with international best practises. His Royal Highness welcomed His Excellency William Lacy Swing to the Kingdom, praising the IOM’s efforts to prevent exploitation and people trafficking, and protect displaced persons and migrants fleeing conflict. His Royal Highness further expressed Bahrain’s support for the important work of the IOM, and its active role in the preservation of human dignity. His Royal Highness highlighted that Bahrain has successfully implemented a comprehensive programme of legislation designed to safeguard the rights of the Kingdom’s expatriate population. In this regard, His Royal Highness emphasised that Bahrain’s labour market reform project, launched in accordance with His Majesty King Hamad’s vision for comprehensive development, has achieved international recognition as a model example of effective labour reform. His Royal Highness went on to thank the Director General for visiting Bahrain and emphasised the importance of deepening cooperation and coordination between Bahrain and the IOM. For his part, the Director General of the IOM outlined the organisation’s international and regional efforts to protect migrants and combat exploitation and people trafficking. The Director General expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet His Royal Highness and stressed his appreciation for the support His Royal Highness and various Bahraini organisations have provided to the IOM and its associated initiatives. The Deputy Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the Labour and Social Development Minister, His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammed Humaidan, and a number of senior officials also attended the meeting.