After a highly competitive selection process, the IOM Council has elected today, during its 115th Session, the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, to the role of Rapporteur of the IOM Bureau, in representation of the Expanded Europe Group. His mandate will last until November 2025.
The role of Rapporteur in the IOM Bureau is conferred on a personal basis but also confirms the appreciation for Italy’s balanced approach to migration issues, also exemplified through initiatives such the Rome Process and specific workstreams of the “Mattei Plan”. The election to the role of Rapporteur is also particularly significant since Ambassador Grassi will be the first Italian member of the IOM Bureau since 1985, a time where migration issues entailed different challenges for Italy. The Bureau, a collegial body within the IOM Governing Bodies, plays an increasingly critical role due to its key responsibilities, including its involvement in the oversight of programmes and operations, budget planning and discussions with the IOM’s leadership team, the Council and the Director General, Amy Pope. The Bureau comprises four positions—President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and Rapporteur—each representing a regional group: Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the European Expanded Group.