LISBON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government has officially nominated Antonio Vitorino as the next director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Portugal's foreign affairs ministry announced on Tuesday.
The ministry launched his candidacy by citing Portugal's commitment to the field and hailing Vitorino's "deep knowledge of the problems of migration."
The IOM, a related organization of the United Nations (UN), serves and advises governments on migration issues, including displaced persons and refugees.
The current director general of the IOM is U.S. diplomat William Lacy Swing. He is entering the final six months of his second 5-year term.
Vitorino is a former European Commissioner for justice and home affairs.
He is also a former deputy prime minister of Portugal, having served under Antonio Guterres, now the secretary general of the UN.
Vitorino currently sits on the advisory boards of the International Migration Initiative and the Transatlantic Council on Migration.
IOM elections will be held in June 2018.
