William Lacy Swing, the Director General of IOM, the UN Migration Agency, accepted the Jacques Diouf Award on behalf of the Organization. The Award was jointly granted to IOM and the Rabobank Foundation.
The Jacques Diouf award is presented every two years to individuals or national/regional institutions that have made a significant contribution to the improvement of global food security. Established in 2011, the award pays tribute to former FAO Director-General, Jacques Diouf, recognizing his outstanding leadership, personal engagement, and untiring advocacy in the fight against poverty, hunger and malnutrition. The award consists of an inscribed medal, a scroll describing achievements and a cash prize of USD 25,000.
On receiving the award from José Graziano da Silva, the FAO Director-General, at a special ceremony held at their headquarters, Director General Swing thanked FAO for selecting IOM as joint winner of the Jacques Diouf Award.
“It is a great honour to be recognized with this award. While IOM’s name is the International Organization for Migration, we also see our work as devoted to ensuring that people migrate as a matter of choice rather than by necessity. Much of our work, both under normal circumstances as well as during crises, is spent in trying to enable people not to have to move,” said Director General Swing in his acceptance speech.
