Speech #1000073112

At the meeting. Mr. Carlin stated "the unfulfilled needs of refugees and migrants are well known. Governments. international organizations. and private agencies are hard pressed to cope with the myriad of humanitarian problems arising from the dislocation and resettlement of people." USAIM will focus its initial activities on the needs of these individuals not currently being helped by governments or other sources of funding. These include such priorities as handicapped refugees who have been difficult to resettle. unmet medical needs of refugees and displaced persons. experimental and innovative programming to seek solutions to migrant and refugee pressures in Central America. and problems of refugee and migrant women. Additional support will also be sought for ICMs successful "Return of Talent" programs. which assist countries in Latin America and Africa to get highly qualified professionals and specialists to return home and help in development ICMs regional and international seminars. important for international discussion of problems in the resettlement of migrants and refugees. will also be supported. On various occasions I have been privileged to attend these meetings in Geneva. At these meetings. experts from many countries come to share their individual experience in hopes of finding more universal and innovative solutions. A reserve fund will also be established to make money immediately available to ICM or other relevant assistance organizations in case of emergenciesa frequent occurrence when dealing with refugees and displaced persons. These are ambitious plans. None of us expect the new organization to meet its goals overnight. Nor can USAIM replace the necessary and basic funding of refugee relief and resettlement. and assistance to displaced persons in critical situations. areas which are rightly the responsibility of governments. But USAIM is off to an auspicious start. and. not to overwork the metaphor. it is aiming in the right direction. Many of USAIMs board members have worked for many years to find workable solutions to the problems of refugees and displaced persons. The president of the new association. Edwin Shapiro of New York. was chairman of HIAS (the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society) for many years. The vice president. former Ambassador Francis Dale. served as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. missions in Geneva in the 1970s and. following his term of service. took a trip to Southeast Asia to examine the refugee situation for the State Department. Gretchen S. Bolton. secretary of the new association. has represented ICM in Washington since 1980. and Phylis Eisen. the associations treasurer. have worked with us on immigration and refugee policy from positions in several organizations in Washington since the 1970s. The other founding board members. represent a crosssection of American interests and experience on this subject. They include Carlos J.