OUR VALUES

Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. With 173 member states and 436 offices, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

The IOM Constitution recognizes the link between migration and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to the right of freedom of movement. IOM activities that cut across these areas include the promotion of international migration law, policy debate and guidance, protection of migrants’ rights, migration health and the gender dimension of migration.

IOM’s STRATEGIC VISION 2019–2023 sets out a number of strategic priorities, based on a landscape assessment of what the next decade will bring. There are three main pillars of work:

Resilience: IOM will need to prepare for higher numbers of people moving in and out of vulnerable situations, stemming from a range of complex drivers, including climate change, instability, poverty and exploitation. IOM will endeavour to take a long-term and holistic approach to emergency response, integrating development objectives, and acknowledging changing drivers and vulnerabilities.

Mobility: The ways in which people move are constantly changing. As migration dynamics evolve, so must the tools that manage movement, whether relating to selection, identification, entry, stay or return. In this regard, IOM will pursue innovative approaches to design and implementation of systems to manage migration, based on its existing knowledge of what works, where, and for whom, and specific regional and political contexts.

Governance: IOM is already an important partner for Member States in terms of delivering services to migrants that governments cannot deliver themselves. With the advent of the Global Compact for Migration, there is a new opportunity for IOM to support governments to build capacity for the governance of migration, support for migrants, and to build stronger cooperation with other United Nations agencies. This requires stronger partnership with a broad range of stakeholders and partners, and the development of strong research and data collection capacities, to support decision- making in an often-difficult space.