Jonas Widgren was the founder of ICMPD. He led the organisation as Director General until his suddden death in Rijeka, Croatia on 25 August 2004.

Born in Stockholm (Sweden) in 1944, he graduated from Stockholm University in 1967 (B.A. in Philosophy). He then held various posts in the Swedish Ministries of Interior and Labour, among others, as Secretary General (1971 - 1974) of the parliamentary Commission, which prepared the new Swedish policy of multiculturalism and as Director (1978 - 1982) of the immigration policy division of the Ministry of Labour. In 1982, the late Prime Minister Olof Palme appointed him Secretary of State at the Ministry of Labour, responsible for immigration to Sweden and for equality between women and men. As deputy to former Minister Anita Gradin, he held this position until early 1987.

In April 1987, he joined UNHCR in Geneva as Senior Adviser to the High Commissioner for Refugees to assist in finding solutions to the asylum crisis in Europe together with the governments concerned, in the framework of informal consultations, which originally were initiated by the Swedish Government. The Secretariat for these consultations obtained a semi-independent status in 1991 through a special co-operation agreement between 16 Western Governments and UNHCR, and Jonas Widgren headed this Secretariat, as Co-ordinator for the Inter-governmental Consultations (IGC), until the spring of 1993.

In May 1993, Jonas Widgren was appointed Director General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in Vienna.

Since the early 1970's, Jonas Widgren regularly acted as consultant on international refugee and migration matters to the UN, ILO, UNESCO, OECD, IOM, Council of Europe and other international organisations. From 1995 -1998 he served as External Adviser to the Cabinet of the EU Commissioner responsible for immigration and asylum affairs. He chaired the OECD Working Party on Migration from 1983 - 1987, and during his whole tenure as a Swedish Government official he represented Sweden in various inter-governmental fora. He published many articles and studies on migration and asylum issues in Sweden and abroad and lectured widely in Europe and North America.

"Solving migration challenges in innovative ways. That's what ICMPD stands for", said Jonas Widgren, former Director General.

Gottfried Zürcher

Education:
University of Berne; graduated in 1977 with a degree in Law and Economics;
Legal traineeship at courts and the Recording Office in the Canton of Solothurn; examination and qualification as attorney-at-law and notary public


Professional Experience:
Since 1979 different posts held within the Federal Administration in the field of asylum, refugee and migration policy. Since 1991 Deputy Director of the Federal Office for Refugees (now:  Federal Office for  Migration), head of the strategy, policy and legal unit, responsible for the law-making on behalf of the Federal Council and the Federal Parliament, representation of the Office at court, Swiss representative in various ad hoc and permanent working groups and committees (Council of Europe, UN organisations), head of Swiss delegation in bilateral and multi-lateral negotiations on migration issues (co-operation, migration and readmission agreements).

April 2002 – December 2004
Deputy Director General of ICMPD

January 2005 – December 2009
Director General of ICMPD

January 2010 - present:
Vice Director of the Federal Office for Migration, Director of the Directorate for Migration Policy - Switzerland