IOM carries out a diverse range of activities all around the world. This page highlights some of these initiatives. Click here to find out more about IOM’s wide-ranging global activities.

Global Humanitarian Assistance

IOM’s activities in emergency and post-emergency situations focus on four phases of emergency intervention: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Programme activities cover emergency relief, return, reintegration, capacity-building and protection of the rights of affected populations. In the global efforts to address the growing needs of crisis-affected populations, IOM works in “collaborative responses” through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) within the United Nations system. IOM takes on the lead role, under the cluster approach of the UN Consolidated Appeals Process in camp coordination and camp management in natural disasters. In close partnership with other organisations, IOM assists in the coordination of emergency shelter, logistics, health, protection and early recovery for crisis-stricken communities. To read more about IOM’s work in this field, please click here.

Migration and Climate Change

Migration, climate change and the environment are interrelated. Just as environmental degradation and disasters can cause migration, movement of people can also entail significant effects on surrounding ecosystems. This complex nexus needs to be addressed in a holistic manner, taking into account other possible mediating factors including, inter alia, human security, human and economic development, livelihood strategies and conflict. Migration often seems to be misperceived as a failure to adapt to a changing environment.  Instead, migration can also be an adaptation strategy to climate and environmental change and is an essential component of the socio-environmental interactions that needs to be managed.  Migration can be a coping mechanism and survival strategy for those who move. At the same time, migration, and mass migration in particular, can also have significant environmental repercussions for areas of origin, areas of destination, and the migratory routes in between and contribute to further environmental degradation. IOM’s central objectives in managing environmental migration are:

• First, to prevent forced migration resulting from environmental factors to the extent possible.
• Second, where forced migration does occur, to provide assistance and protection to affected populations, and seek durable solutions to their situation.
• Third, to facilitate migration as an adaptation strategy to climate change.

The Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Evidence for Policy project aims to contribute to the global knowledge base on the relationship between migration and environmental change, including climate change. The innovative research will aim to formulate policy options on how migration can benefit adaptation strategies to environmental and climate change. To find out more about this project, click here. To find out more about IOM’s approach to migration and climate change, click here. For an overview of IOM reports and publications on migration and climate change, click here.

International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS)

Unethical recruitment is a serious problem requiring a global solution. In today’s labour market, intermediaries play an important role in matching workers with jobs and ensuring the continued prosperity of businesses and families. But when unscrupulous intermediaries exploit job seekers the negative outcomes impact everyone. In response to this, IOM established the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), an international voluntary “ethical recruitment” framework that will benefit all stakeholders in the labour migration process.  IRIS will provide a platform for addressing unfair recruitment and bridge international regulatory gaps governing labour recruitment in countries of origin and destination.

• IRIS aims to create a public-private alliance of like-minded governments, employers, recruiters and other partners committed to ethical recruitment.
• IRIS will develop a voluntary accreditation framework so that its members can be recognized as bona fide fair recruiters and distinguish themselves from unscrupulous intermediaries. Accreditation will be based on adherence to common principles for ethical recruitment and a code of conduct.
• Job seekers will have better information regarding ethical recruitment though an information portal and publicly available roster of accredited IRIS members internationally
• IRIS will administer a complaints and referral mechanism to assist victims of unethical or illegal recruiters to file grievances with the appropriate authorities.

Visit the IRIS website here to learn more and join the alliance.

Global Migration Media Academy

The Global Migration Media Academy (GMMA) is a global coalition of migration experts, academics and media professionals working together to provide a range of accessible and free migration courses tailored for media and communication students and professionals to support balanced and accurate coverage. The GMMA is a jointly project funded by Irish Aid and the IOM Development Fund, launched in December 2020 in response to the alarming rise in misinformation and anti-migrant xenophobia and drawing on decades of experience in media training.

  

The Academy has developed a community of experts through a network of learning hubs worldwide. Up today, it has established hubs in Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Serbia and the Philippines. We are truly committed to providing fact-based, balanced and diverse viewpoints and promoting new voices in the field by eliminating barriers to professional development and learning.

  

Some of the key offerings are the development a foundation course in collaboration with different academy partners worldwide, where the National University of Ireland in Galway the lead academic partner. This course consists of diverse yet interconnected modules and draws on the latest research, insight and data to support balanced, accurate migration reporting in the media. Please check our website to access this course.

 

Some other key offerings are in-person training in multiple languages. The GMMA strongly focuses on training media and journalism students to identify and track disinformation and harmful content, including fact-checking techniques and data journalism. Students are encouraged to explore this complex topic from different perspectives and publish compelling, nuanced, evidence-based stories. The GMMA team recently travelled to Nigeria and Mexico to deliver training to more than 80 journalists and media students.

 

Additionally, last June IOM lead the coordination of the first summer school hosted at the University of Ireland in Galway- Ireland. Over 50 people participated in our week-long GMMA Summer School. It included a lecture series and round-table discussions with media experts from the BBC, Irish Government’s negotiator for the Good Friday Agreement, a Pulitzer Prize winner, Google News Lab, UN agencies, Irish Times and Cadena Ser. The participants from Serbia, Morocco, Nigeria, Mexico and The Philippines got an opportunity to visit the Ireland National Broadcasting service studies (RTÉ) and attended a talk with Director of Irish Aid in Dublin.’

GMMA is an open-source platform to learn more about the academy visit the link below.

www.mediamigrationacademy.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left to Right: Elijah Elaigwu (IOM Nigeria), Dr. Chike Mgbeadichie (Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria), Cyprine Cheptepkeny (IOM Nigeria), Mr. Isaac-Ogugua Ezechukwu (Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria), Chido Nwakanma (Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria), Barinedum Agara (IOM Nigeria)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pan Atlantic University Students

 

Summer School

Additionally, last June IOM lead the coordination of the first summer school hosted at the University of Ireland in Galway- Ireland. Over 50 people participated in our week-long GMMA Summer School. It included a lecture series and round-table discussions with media experts from the BBC, Irish Government’s negotiator for the Good Friday Agreement, a Pulitzer Prize winner, Google News Lab, UN agencies, Irish Times and Cadena Ser. The participants from Serbia, Morocco, Nigeria, Mexico and The Philippines got an opportunity to visit the Ireland National Broadcasting service studies (RTÉ) and attended a talk with Director of Irish Aid in Dublin.’

https://ireland.iom.int/news/students-six-countries-tackle-negative-migration-narratives-iom-media-academy

GDS – Global Diaspora Summit

Global Diaspora Summit - Dublin 2022

The Global Diaspora Summit, organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Ireland in Dublin in April 2022, represented a milestone in the high-level recognition of migrants and diasporas’ development contributions. The GDS is built on the awareness achieved at the 2013 International Diaspora Ministerial Conference, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and – of particular pertinence – the 2018 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). The landmark Global Diaspora Summit brought GCM Objective 19 to the forefront of global discussions. The goal of the GDS was to foster a collaborative vision and forum for governments and stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue with diaspora and transnational communities. It also sought to embrace a whole of government and society approach to diaspora empowerment and engagement focusing on transnational communities as invaluable agents of sustainable development.

The GDS was a great success thanks to contributions of participating governments, diaspora organisations and stakeholders who had the opportunity to share their experiences, discuss their concerns, and make recommendations.

The GDS concluded with the adoption of the “Dublin Declaration” (read more here) which constitutes a future agenda of action for global diaspora engagement. This milestone document contains a commitment from the international community, partners, and stakeholders to create conditions for migrants and diasporas to further contribute to sustainable development.

Direct to website: www.anyonetrafficked.com

• In conjunction with IOM UK, IOM Ireland will also be conducting research into trafficking

Community Policing:

• IOM Ireland will work with An Garda Siochana and migrant communities in the area of community policing
• The aim is to increase mutual knowledge and enhance existing relationships to improve reporting of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence by migrant victims
• It is hoped that this work will complement the work that the Irish State is already doing in this area particularly as regards the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence 2022-2026 and the work of the new State agency to be established in January 2024

Cultural Mediation:

• Under the previous project, Protect II, IOM Ireland established a cultural mediation service
• Cultural mediators come from a range of different backgrounds and nationalities
• Their function is to bridge the gap between Irish service providers and migrant and ethnic minority service user

Cultural Competency Training:

• In 2021, IOM Ireland developed, with external consultants, capacity-building training in cultural competency and understanding
• This training is aimed at State and other frontline service providers to assist them when dealing with migrants and ethnic minorities
• This training covers the following topics: stereotypes and culture, working with cultural mediators, interpreters, and advocates, an overview of migration and ethnic minorities, barriers to service provision and access, discrimination and racism, and addressing bias