by Martina Fuchs

GENEVA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- China has played a key role in strengthening multilateralism around the world and finding common solutions to some of the most pressing issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the head of the United Nations' migration agency on Monday.

The United Nations' 75th anniversary presents an opportunity to promote multilateralism as well as international cooperation, said Antonio Vitorino, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"All international issues on the agenda require cooperation and coordination among the member states. Starting with the pandemic of course, but also climate change and migration," he said in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

"No state can handle these issues alone," he added.

Established in 1951, Geneva-based IOM is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. It embraces 173 member states and eight observer states and has offices in over 100 countries.

"The United Nations needs to support the member states in addressing these trans-border international subjects in a way that it is fully respectful of the sovereignty of the countries, but at the same time recognize the added value of such cooperation worldwide," he said.

The IOM chief noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his video address at Monday's high-level meeting commemorating the United Nations' 75th anniversary, reiterated China's commitment to the multilateral system and the need to respect international law.

Xi's speech also conveyed "clear support for the central role of the UN system in coming together and supporting member states, in finding the most suitable solutions to a very heavy and disturbing agenda especially in this time of the pandemic," he added.

The 75th session of the UN General Assembly opened at the UN headquarters in New York last Tuesday and will continue until Sept. 30.

Vitorino said he hopes to further strengthen cooperation between IOM and China.

"We have a longstanding cooperation with China," he said. "IOM was one of the first organizations that supported China in February in sending medical material to respond to the pandemic. And we appreciate particularly the fact that China today is deploying in-kind systems to a number of countries worldwide."

IOM's cooperation with China, he added, is to help the Chinese government deal with migrant flows and border controls and promote the integration of migrants in Chinese society.

Vitorino also called for fair and equal access to and distribution of a vaccine once it is found.

"It is absolutely necessary to guarantee that there is fairness in the access to the vaccine for everyone, including the migrants. Nobody should be left behind," he said. Enditem