Amy Pope, a United Nations migration official and former White House advisor, was elected director general of the International Organization for Migration on Monday, outdistancing her boss, the incumbent António Vitorino, a former Portuguese politician who withdrew from the race after a poor 98-67 showing in the first round.
The vote by the 175-member IOM state council — only 171 were registered to vote — followed an intense U.S. government lobbying campaign, culminating with a public statement by U.S. President Joe Biden last week backing her candidacy. The Biden administration invested considerable political capital in the campaign, dispatching senior American officials to accompany Pope on a whirlwind tour of capitals in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Shortly after the vote, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement thanking Vitorino for his service, congratulating Pope on her win, and vowing to work closely with her. “As IOM’s largest bilateral donor, the United States strongly supports Ms. Pope’s vision and looks forward to working with her to implement the critical reforms necessary to create a more effective, inclusive IOM,” Blinken said.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
