Media & Communications

The Council is the highest authority of the IOM. It meets in regular session once a year and in special sessions at the request of: one third of its members, the Director General or the Chairman of the Council in urgent circumstances. The main functions of the Council, as set out in the provisions of the IOM Constitution, are to: determine, examine and review the policies, programmes and activities of the Organization; review the reports, approve and direct the activities of any subsidiary body; review the reports, approve and direct the activities of the Director General; review and approve the programme, the Budget, the expenditure and the accounts of the Organization; and to take any other appropriate action to further the purposes of the Organization.

The Knowledge Fair and Impact Awards @ IOM will further enhance these efforts by serving as a platform to exchange, celebrate and amplify the best and most impactful initiatives and collaborations between IOM, Member States, communities and partners. This initiative directly aligns with and advances the objectives of the IOM Strategic Plan 2024-2028 and the global agenda enshrined in the UN 2.0 vision, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. This year’s Impact Awards Ceremony will be held alongside the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) in Geneva in November 2024. IDM is IOM’s main forum for migration policy dialogue. It brings together governments, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders to discuss key migration issues and develop innovative solutions.

The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, was the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. The conference concluded with an agreement on plans for finance to mitigate the effects of climate change and help developing nations transition to more sustainable energy sources. Rules and a UN registry were agreed to facilitate and record international trading of carbon credits.

As climate change intensifies, competition over dwindling natural resources in Northwestern Nigeria, Katsina State has seen conflicts that often result in displacement and loss of life. In response, IOM is empowering communities to prevent and resolve disputes before they escalate. Through the Community Response Network (CRN) and transhumance tracking tools like the Early Warning and Early Response System, IOM is strengthening local capacity for peacebuilding and providing vital support to displaced persons in the region.

On 21st and 22nd May, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) hosted its 2024 International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) in New York, centered around how to create more and better opportunities for people to move in a regular and beneficial way as part of a comprehensive approach to human mobility.  For two days, Member States, migrants, the UN system, various international organizations, civil society, youth leaders, private sector, academia and other key stakeholders explored innovative, evidence-based policy solutions for regular pathways for migration. 

During 8-12 April DG Pope made her first trip as DG to Ukraine. Her agenda consisted of high-level meetings with President Zelenskyy and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. The DG signed renewed bilateral cooperation agreements with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy. She also visited project sites in Mykolaiv, Odesa and Bucha, hosted a donor briefing, and engaged with international and national press.

On 11th March 2024 DG Amy Pope spoke at the Conference of the Ambassadors of the Order of Malta, in Rome

On 26th January 2024, Director General of IOM, Amy Pope, had a private audience with Pope Francis I in the Vatican City.

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC was the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference, held from 30 November to 12 December at Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Representatives of the International Organization for Migration’s member states are meeting in Geneva for the 114th session of the council. The Council is the highest authority of the IOM. It meets in regular sessions once a year and in special sessions at the request of: one-third of its members, the Director General or the Chairman of the Council in urgent circumstances. The main functions of the Council, as set out in the provisions of the IOM Constitution, are to: determine, examine and review the policies, programmes and activities of the Organization; review the reports, approve and direct the activities of any subsidiary body; review the reports, approve and direct the activities of the Director General; review and approve the programme, the Budget, the expenditure and the accounts of the Organization; and to take any other appropriate action to further the purposes of the Organization.

The global response to climate change and human mobility is at a crossroads. The direct impacts of climate change, combined with slow-onset secondary effects such as declining agricultural productivity, could lead to the internal migration of up to 216 million people by 2050, depending on the emissions scenario. According to the World Disasters Report 2020, an estimated 200 million people per year could require humanitarian assistance by 2050 due to the combined effects of climate-related disasters and the socioeconomic impacts of climate change. In order to break this vicious cycle of instability, vulnerability and displacement, efforts should focus on looking at how crisis risk is generated and how disaster risk reduction, humanitarian assistance and sustainable development efforts can adapt to changing and complex realities. During the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) session in New York in March 2023, it was highlighted that more action is urgently needed to tackle climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The second session of the 2023 International Dialogue on Migration, which took place on 5-6 October in Geneva, built on the outcomes of the Kampala Declaration and the SDG Summit and provided input to discussions at the Twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) and other key upcoming events, in particular the United Nations Summit of the Future in 2024 and the regi

On Monday 15 May 2023, the Member States of the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Migration Agency, elected Ms. Amy E. Pope as its next Director General during the 6th Special Session of the IOM Council. Established in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. IOM is part of the United Nations system, as a related organization. The Director General-elect Pope, who began her appointment as IOM’s Deputy Director General for Management and Reform in September 2021, was nominated by the United States of America. The incumbent Director General Mr. António Vitorino was also a candidate in the election. The first woman to lead IOM, Ms. Pope will assume the duties of Director General for a five-year term beginning on 1 October 2023. During her tenure as Deputy Director General, Ms. Pope implemented a series of budgetary, management and administrative reforms to optimize IOM’s field delivery and risk management, enhanced internal justice outcomes and operational results, and strengthen coordination with the United Nations system.

Representatives of the International Organization for Migration’s member states are meeting in Geneva for the 113th session of the council. The Council is the highest authority of the IOM. It meets in regular sessions once a year and in special sessions at the request of: one-third of its members, the Director General or the Chairman of the Council in urgent circumstances. The main functions of the Council, as set out in the provisions of the IOM Constitution, are to: determine, examine and review the policies, programmes and activities of the Organization; review the reports, approve and direct the activities of any subsidiary body; review the reports, approve and direct the activities of the Director General; review and approve the programme, the Budget, the expenditure and the accounts of the Organization; and to take any other appropriate action to further the purposes of the Organization.

The Second International Dialogue on Migration Session of 2022 took place on October 24-25th in Geneva, Switzerland. The session takes place in the lead-up to the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), taking place in Egypt, and building on the successful outcomes of the first International Migration Review Forum, to strengthen action to address the complex interlinkages between climate change, food security and human mobility. IOM understands these links through the wide lens of human security and is committed to putting vulnerable people at the center of its responses. Food security, water security, environmental security and livelihood security are all affected by climate change and can influence mobility patterns. 2022 has witnessed the combined impacts of climate change and food insecurity, and the proliferation of acute situations across the world, leading to disruption in food supply chain and rising prices of grain, fertilizer and energy. This has resulted in compounded risks for communities already under severe stress, especially in low-income countries, and lead to protracted displacement and increased humanitarian needs. These situations call for longer-term development, adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies to avert and minimize displacement, strengthen the resilience of migrants and communities and promote sustainable societies and livelihoods.

Ethiopia has one of the world’s largest internally displaced populations, with displacement risks remaining high in 2022. IOM in Ethiopia focuses on supporting crisis-affected populations in Ethiopia, including vulnerable migrants and returnees, addressing immediate humanitarian needs, while undertaking longer-term actions to build resilience and foster sustainable peace and development.

Photos of by IOM Georgia taken during different activities in previous years.

A compilation of visibility products for IOM's 70th Anniversary. For queries, contact avteam@iom.int

The Fall Session of the 2021 International Dialogue on Migration held in Geneva. The IDM is IOM’s principal forum for migration policy dialogue. Founded in 2001 and rooted in IOM’s Constitution and Strategy, the IDM is open to IOM Member and Observer States, as well as international and non-governmental organizations, migrants, and partners from media, academia or the private sector. The IDM provides a space to analyse current and emerging issues in migration governance and to exchange experiences, policy approaches and effective practices.

Documentation of IOM programmatic works in Nigeria in the time of COVID-19 pandemic. (Please find more information in the individual photos and videos)

When people go missing on migration journeys, their disappearance has reverberating effects on their families and communities left behind. In 2019-2020, IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) and a team of independent researchers carried out a project in Ethiopia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe with the aim of learning how people with missing migrant relatives cope with the absence of their loved ones while actively seeking answers, and how they could be better supported in their efforts by governments and other actors. 

A collection of stories of people who have been internally displaced around the world.

A collection of humanitarian activities by IOM colleagues around the world responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The French photojournalist of Iranian origin Reza Deghati led a three-day photography training workshop in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The training was aimed at migrants returning to their country after experiencing difficult journeys abroad. Six young photographers also participated in the training. After learning the technical aspects of photography, the participants put their new skills into practice by attending reintegration and recreation activities organized by IOM for returnees and community members. This training is the first in a series to be organized by IOM across West Africa in 2020. It was organized in the framework of the Joint EU-IOM Initiative for the Protection and Reintegration of Migrants in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions. Launched in December 2016 with funding from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for the Protection and Reintegration of Migrants is the first comprehensive programme to save lives, protect and assist migrants along major migration routes in Africa.

The launch of the report “Migrants as Messengers – The impact of peer-to-peer communication on potential migrants in Senegal” took place at IOM Headquarters in Geneva on 10 September 2019. The scientifically rigorous impact evaluation provides evidence on the impact of peer-to-peer awareness raising on informed and safe migration choices among potential migrants in West Africa. After presenting the results of the impact study, representatives from various international organizations discussed their experiences in advancing the evidence agenda within their respective fields.

Ebola Response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A compilation of high quality B-Roll footage for use in editing and creating videos.

The exhibition marks the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (GP20) and features personal stories from displaced people. ‘Holding On’ exhibition showcases the stories of internally displaced people by asking them to reflect on their most cherished possessions. The items that displaced people carry with them when they have to leave their homes often become physical representations of a world that has since disappeared. For many, they represent a promise of return. A key, a shirt or a photo can now serve both as a symbol of struggle and a beacon of hope. Using virtual reality technology, attendees will be able to enter the “makeshift” homes and communities of internally displaced individuals to watch them share their story of displacement and the significance of the possession they are holding on to. These stories of people displaced within the borders of their own countries, collected by IOM staff around the world, will serve to raise awareness of the plight of internally displaced persons and celebrate their courage, tenacity and resilience of spirit, while ensuring that their voices are front and centre..

Refugees under IOM care in Indonesia who've completed a vocational training program provide free haircuts to street children and residents of their host community.

A collection of scenery photos in urban areas for use.

The military crisis may be over in Mosul city, but the humanitarian calamity continues. To help people return, the city needs tremendous humanitarian assistance. Massive destruction meets the eye across West Mosul

Hammam Al-Alil Transition Zone, south east of Mosul city, became a major hub for displaced Iraqis from Mosul as the Iraqi forces pushed deeper into West Mosul. IDPs would be brought here by buses where they went through screening and receiving primary assistance such as health care support, food and water. They would then be transported in buses toother areas around the city that could shelter them, be it a camp, and emergency site, or other safe areas in the liberated East Mosul where the IDPs had relatives that could take them in.

Safe migration information campaign targets irregular migrant sending communities in Sri Lanka to educate and provide more information related to regular migration. The campaign allows the vulnerable communities and the potential migrants to take a better informed decision related to their migration efforts.

EVERONE'S A SPOKESPERSON - Promoting effective Communications in IOM