International Organization for Migration (iOM’s) Mandate
Since 2007, member states requested IOM within its governing bodies to work on migration, environment and climate change. At the beginning of 2015, a dedicated Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) Division was created to address the migration, environment and climate nexus. This institutional change has formalized IOM’s engagement in this thematic area, making IOM the first international organization to have established an institutional unit fully devoted to this topic. The Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division, within the Department of Migration Management has the institutional responsibility to oversee, support and coordinate the development of policy guidance for activities with a migration, environment and climate change dimension.
IOM’s Vision
IOM recognizes the necessity to step up national, regional and international efforts to address human mobility challenges associated with environmental factors and climate change. IOM’s vision on migration, environment and climate change is that contemporary migration governance, policy and practice must reflect the significance of environmental, disaster and climate change factors on human mobility. Environmental factors must be integrated across all areas of migration management, such as: prevention, preparedness and response to displacement, border management, labour migration and integration, and return and reintegration.
IOM’s Objectives
IOM’s objectives concerning migration, environment and climate change are:
- To prevent forced migration that results from environmental factors to the extent possible;
- To provide assistance and protection to affected populations when forced migration does occur in situations of environmental and climate change, and to seek durable solutions to their situation;
- To facilitate migration in the context of climate change adaptation and enhance the resilience of affected communities.
Sustainable development is recognized as an integral part of this approach, implemented through disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability measures.
IOM’s Activities
IOM engages in policy work and advocacy, research, capacity building, and operational activities in the area of migration, environment and climate change in collaboration with IOM Member States, observers and partners.
Policy
IOM supports international policy, advocating for the recognition of the migration, environment and climate change nexus in key global and regional policy processes. IOM also supports State-led efforts to develop specific solutions to address these complex challenges at the national level.
Research
IOM has been conducting research in the area of migration, environment and climate change since the early 1990s to support the development of evidence-based policy and practice. IOM regularly publishes reports on migration, environment and climate change, and makes the latest international research on this topic available through the Environmental Migration Portal’s Research Database and Policy Brief series.
Building Capacities to Address Environmental Migration
IOM’s capacity building programme for policy makers on migration, environment and climate change focuses on enhancing the understanding of the complex issue of managing migration in the context of climate and environmental change; and linking the many policy areas that are relevant to addressing environmental migration, including migration, climate change adaptation, environment, development, security and disaster risk reduction. Trainings are aimed to build capacity of national, regional and international policy makers and practitioners. IOM also engages in awareness raising and communications for general public through a variety of communication channels on social and traditional media.
Operational Activities
Since 1998, more than 1,000 projects have been funded and implemented worldwide by IOM to respond to and address environmental migration and disaster displacement, demonstrating that creative solutions exist for communities affected by disasters, environmental degradation and climate change, and that migration does not have to be a “last resort” solution but can also be a positive driver for change.
Environmental Sustainability
IOM recognizes that a healthy environment is intrinsically linked to the well-being and resilience of migrants and host communities. In 2017, IOM launched its institutional programme of work on environmental sustainability. It made an institutional commitment to improve the sustainability of its operations at the strategic, programmatic and facility levels, focusing on three key areas: greenhouse gas emissions; water; and waste management.
IOM’s Partnerships
