BANGKOK, 13 June 2022 – Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Millicent Cruz Paredes, bid farewell to Dr. Maria Nenette Motus, the outgoing Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific on the occasion of her retirement from the IOM.

Dr. Motus, a Filipina, has been a staunch supporter of the Philippines’ advocacies on migration. She worked closely with the Philippines on its role as a Champion Country of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM), particularly during the Asia-Pacific Regional Review of Implementation of the GCM held on 10-12 March 2021. The Review was chaired by Ms. Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, Department of Foreign of Affairs, Philippines.

In her capacity as IOM Regional Director, Dr. Motus was a regular resource person of the Philippine Embassy on matters concerning the welfare and well-being of Filipino workers in Thailand.

Dr. Motus is retiring to the Philippines at the end of the month after working with IOM for more than 30 years, where she held various positions. She has been the Regional Director since 2016, with the main responsibility of overseeing the IOM Regional Office and the IOM Missions in more than 30 countries.

The IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is based in Bangkok, Thailand. It leads the Regional United Nations Network on Migration for Asia and the Pacific, which coordinates the UN system-wide support to Member States on the GCM implementation. More information on the work of the regional office is available at https://www.iom.int/ioms-regional-office-asia-and-pacific . END