In a statement, the government said that the application was delivered this Monday in Geneva, adding that the elections for the IOM leadership are scheduled for June next year.
The former European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs (1999-2004) and former Minister of the Presidency and National Defence (1995-1997) - positions in which he “demonstrated leadership and management at the highest level” according to the application - has “a profound knowledge of the problem of migration, one of the biggest and most demanding challenges facing the international community today,” the government said in the note issued through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Currently, Vitorino is a member of several international initiatives focused on migration, notably the Advisory Board of the International Migration Initiative (since 2015) and the Transatlantic Council on Migration (since 2007), the statement added.
“More than ever, the Portuguese Government considers it urgent to mobilise the world and civil societies towards peace and security, tolerance, respect for human rights and sustainable development,” the statement said.
The Portuguese Government said Vitorino’s candidacy has “real added value” given his “intrinsic qualities and inherent political weight”.