The IOM Council in Geneva re-elects Ambassador Laura Thompson of Costa Rica for a second five-year term as IOM’s Deputy Director General. She was first appointed to the post in September 2009. © IOM / Jean-Marc Ferré 2013

Switzerland - Ambassador Laura Thompson of Costa Rica has been re-elected for a second five-year term as IOM’s Deputy Director General. She was first appointed to the post in September 2009.

Ms. Thompson, who oversaw extensive structural reforms at IOM during her first term, thanked IOM member state governments for their support at a special session of the IOM Council in Geneva yesterday.

At the same session of the Council, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) was admitted as IOM’s 156th member state.  

Ambassador Thompson was formerly the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva.

As Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ms. Thompson had leadership responsibility for key governing bodies of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2007-2009) and IOM (1996-1998).

She also acted as chair of governing bodies of the United Nations Compensation Commission, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Labour Organization.

For more information, please contact

Chris Lom
IOM HQ
Email: clom@iom.int
Tel. +41.791038720