DG Speeches
5th Budapest Process Ministerial Conference
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, addressed the participants of the 5th Budapest Process Ministerial Conference: A Silk Routes Partnership for Migration, which took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on 19 April 2013. In his speech, Mr. Widermann spoke about the achievements of the Budapest Process over the last 20 years and about the importance of the Istanbul Ministerial Declaration adopted at the conference.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
Kick-off Conference for the Project “EU Support to Law Enforcement”
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, addressed the participants of the Kick-off Conference for the project "EU Support to Law Enforcement", which took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 9 October 2012. In his speech, Mr. Widermann spoke about the important main goal of the project – bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina's law enforcement institutions up to the level required for EU accession. He also thanked the consortium partners for the outstanding expertise and commitment they bring to the project.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
Budapest Process 1st MC Preparatory Meeting
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered an opening speech at the Budapest Process First Ministerial Conference Preparatory Meeting in Izmir, Turkey on 27 September 2012. In his speech, Mr. Widermann spoke about the long, successful history of the Budapest Process, its growth over the last few years and the importance of its current project, "A Silk Routes Partnership for Migration".
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
MTM 10-Year Anniversary Meeting
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered a statement at the MTM 10-Year Anniversary Meeting in Valletta, Malta on 22 May 2012. In his statement, Mr. Widermann spoke about Malta's migration history, ICMPD's experience in supporting migration dialogues, and the MTM Dialogue's achievements and outlook for the future.
The full text of the statement delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Border Security Initiative (CABSI): Lessons Learned and the Way Forward
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered a speech at the Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Border Security Initiative (CABSI): Lessons Learned and the Way Forward at the Hofburg in Vienna, Austria on 16–17 April 2012. In his speech, Mr. Widermann spoke about ICMPD's experience in Central Asia in carrying out successful initiatives, such as the Border Management in Central Asia Programme (BOMCA) and the various activities of the Budapest Process, the Prague Process and the Migration EU eXpertise (MIEUX) Programme that focus on the region.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
Prague Process Senior Officials´ Meeting
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered a statement at the Prague Process Senior Officials´ Meeting in Warsaw, Poland on 2–3 April 2012. In his statement, Mr. Widermann spoke about the success of the „Building Migration Partnerships initiative” and the implementation of the priorities in the Prague Process Action Plan.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
3rd Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered a statement at the 3rd Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development in Dakar, Senegal on 23 November 2011. The conference, hosted by Senegal, brought together members of the ministries dealing with migration and development issues in Central and Western African countries, the Maghreb and Europe, in addition to other representatives of partner states and institutions in the Rabat Process.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed in English and in French. Download (EN) Download (FR)
17th Meeting of the Budapest Process Senior Officials
The Director General of ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered an opening statement at the 17th Senior Officials Meeting of the Budapest Process in Ankara, Turkey on 17 November 2011. In his statement, Mr. Widermann focused on the work the Budapest Process has carried out during the past year, especially with the Silk Route countries.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here.
EU Migration Policy in Light of the Schengen Enlargement
The Director General of the ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, participated at the public hearing hosted by the EPP Group in the European Parliament in Brussels on 7 September 2011. The hearing was organised against the background of ongoing discussions on enlargement of Schengen by the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. The Minister of Interior of Bulgaria and the Minister of Interior and Administration of Romania presented measures which the two countries have taken in order to strengthen their migration policy and to meet criteria required for joining the Schengen area. The representatives of the EU institutions in their statements referred more to principles and rules of Schengen in general, admitting that current system has certain weaknesses and has to be revised.
After short introduction of the ICMPD, Mr. Widermann stressed that Schengen should not be viewed as solely “migration issue”, but seen as the enhancement for security and co-operation and even improvement for social and economic potential, not only that of Bulgaria and Romania, but also of other EU Member States. On the other side, the opposition to the aspirations of Bulgaria and Romania is based on fears of organised crime, recent migration pressures and internal political considerations in several EU Member States. He also noted that the focus on reality and positive aspects of the most recent Schengen enlargement can help to fight negative emotions which stem from misinformation and lack of trust.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here here.
Conference on the Role of Migration in the Development of post-Revolution Tunisia
The meeting brought together representatives from a broad range of Tunisian ministries and agencies with delegates from European states and international organisations and aimed to provide a forum for free and open exchange on the current challenges and opportunities facing Tunisia in the area of migration. It was organised with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation and Czech Ministry of Interior.
The Director General of the ICMPD, Peter Widermann, delivered a keynote speech. The full text of the speech delivered by Mr Widermann can be accessed here.
European Day for Border Guards, Warsaw - 25 May 2011
The Director General of the ICMPD, Mr. Peter Widermann, delivered a keynote speech at the main conference of the European Day for Border Guards in Warsaw, on 25 May 2011. Organised by Frontex, the aim of the conference was to address the opportunities and challenges arising from the evolving transition process in North Africa and the Middle East. As an international organisation with long standing operational and policy experience in both Europe and the Arab-Mediterranean region, the ICMPD was invited to present its views on the current situation, and to provide policy recommendations in addressing the emerging migration trends in North Africa and the Middle East.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann can be accessed here here.
5+5 Dialogue on Migration in the Western Mediterranean - 7th Ministerial Conference
Tripoli, 13 December 2010 – On invitation of Libya’s General People’s Committee for Public Security (Ministry of Interior), the ICMPD’s Director General, Mr. Peter Widermann, participated at the 7th Ministerial Conference of the 5+5 Dialogue on Migration in the Western Mediterranean, which was held in Tripoli on 12 and 13 December, 2010.
In his key note speech to the Conference, Mr. Widermann reaffirmed the ICMPD’s role within the context of Mediterranean migration, and highlighted the central elements of addressing irregular migration altogether. “It lies at the core of our mandate to support countries in effectively dealing with the consequences and challenges brought about by the movement of people between countries, between continents” he said before the 10 delegates to the 5+5 Dialogue, namely Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco, France, Malta, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
The full text of the speech delivered by Mr. Widermann’s can be accessed here
