Thank you, Madam Deputy Minister. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the media and distinguished colleagues. It is a great pleasure for me to participate in the Third Global Forum for Migration and Development. And I am also very much honoured to pay an official visit to this great country, in my capacity as Secretary-General of the United Nations.

You have just heard my opening statement on this very important issue. And therefore my remarks will be very brief. First of all, I would like to thank and congratulate the Government of Greece for arranging this excellent meeting in such an excellent manner, and its warm hospitality for all the delegations, including myself.

In recent years the Greek Government and people and its economy have benefited enormously from the contribution of migrant workers, and I hope that Greece will continue to promote and protect the rights of migrants.

We meet in what I have called an age of mobility, with the rapid progress of globalisation, and in the middle of this financial and economic crisis, it is all the more important and it has become a very important and serious issue that we must address in a harmonious and more comprehensive manner.

People are crossing borders like never before, in pursuit of opportunity, for hope for their better life. Today the number of international migrants in the world is approaching a record high. I quoted the number: 215 million people. This is the highest ever in recent history.

And thanks to the work of the Forum and others, there is a growing understanding about the good that it generates. Many governments are working to realise their commitment to safeguard the rights of migrants, but there is much more work to be done by the international community. And in that regard, having had the three Global Fora on Migration and Development, I am very much encouraged that we have raised quite significantly high political awareness among the international community on this very important issue of migration and development. We need to deepen our common values of inclusion and social acceptance and education and understanding.

I sincerely hope that this Global Forum will provide the Member States and all the distinguished delegations and civil society members and economic communities a great opportunity for us to address this issue, which has many implications for human rights and a better future for all these migrants, in this very difficult period of international economic crisis and in this process of globalisation. Thank you very much. I’ll be happy to answer your questions.

And lastly I would like to recognise the presence of my Special Representative, Mr. Peter Sutherland, whose vision and commitment have helped generate a great contribution to this very important subject. Thank you very much.