Keynote Speech

The speaker stated that the IOM was grateful for the chance to host the meeting as it enabled the IOM to declare its commitment to shelter. He explained how the IOM had not set out to be a provider of shelter, but through being in the right place at the right time, it had gradually became involved in shelter interventions. He gave the example of 2005, when the organisation had had a small mission present in Pakistan when the South East Asia Earthquake struck, and the office was asked to manage shelter disaster response.

IOM as a member of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) sees the cluster process as a way of avoiding duplication and improving the way in which organisations work together.