Events

The impactful work of the IOM and Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) program, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness among governments and local communities about the critical intersection of climate change, disasters, and migration.

The 4th Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum (RIHF) took place between February 24 and 25, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone in global humanitarian efforts. Organized by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the event coincided with KSrelief's 10th anniversary. The forum convened global leaders, donors, humanitarian workers, and experts to address pressing challenges in humanitarian aid.

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.

Visit of the IOM Director General Ms. Amy Pope to Maiduguri and Abuja, Nigeria.

The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) opened on September 10, 2024, with High-Level Week taking place September 20-27 in New York.

The 34th Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance took place in Geneva, Switzerland. The Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (SCPF) is a subcommittee of the Council. It is open to the entire membership and normally meets twice a year to examine and review policies, programmes and activities, to discuss administrative, financial and budgetary matters and to consider any matter specifically referred to it by the Council.

From 28 to 30 November, the Regional UN Network on Migration in West and Central Africa and the Government of Ghana, in the framework of the GCM Champion Countries initiative, hosted an Informal Cross-Regional Dialogue for Champion countries of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

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

Training workshops with implementing partners on migration-related issues.

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.

The 2022 Global Chiefs of Missions meeting took place in Geneva featuring all of IOM's chiefs of missions, regional directors, and other visiting colleagues to a range of thematic topics and key issues.

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.

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.

In Burkina Faso, to mark the International Day of the African Child, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized events and activities on June 16, 2019 bringing together 300 children, including migrants. Performances including dance, songs, poetry about migration as well as graffiti took place throughout the day. Tenkodogo is one of the largest cities in the Central-Eastern region of Burkina Faso, the region with the highest migration rate in the country, with 60% of outbound migration.

Returned migrants participate in a cash-for-work activity in Garango, in Eastern Burkina Faso. When migrants return home, they often lack money to care for their basic needs. IOM organizes cash-for-work activities as a first step towards the sustainable reintegration of migrants. These activities contribute to strengthening social cohesion between returned migrants and community members, while offering returned migrants the financial boost they need to restart their lives.

Joint visit of a reintegration project in Cote d’Ivoire by IOM and the EU Delegation in Cote d’Ivoire in the framework of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration. Launched in December 2016 with funding from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration is the first comprehensive programme to save lives, protect and assist migrants along key migration routes in Africa.

Football match organized in Daloa, a Western City in Cote d’Ivoire as part of awareness raising activities on the risks and dangers of irregular migration organized in the framework of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration. Launched in December 2016 with funding from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration is the first comprehensive programme to save lives, protect and assist migrants along key migration routes in Africa.

Side event to the International Dialogue on Migration 2019: Youth Leadership in 21st Century Migration Governance. The International Dialogue for Migration (IDM) 2019's focus was on ‘youth and migration: engaging youth as key partners in migration governance’. The Dialogue took place on 28 February along with two other events: the General Assembly’s high-level debate on international migration and development on the 27th, and UN DESA’s symposium on international migration and development on the 26th. The IDM addressed topics of understanding youth migration: beyond facts and figures; addressing specific challenges and vulnerabilities of young people: what role, which partners; empowering youth to become actors of change, and mainstreaming youth migration into development policies: recommendations for the way forward.

Youth and migration: Engaging youth as key partners in migration governance 1st session of the IDM 2019 28 February - Conference Room 2, UN HQ, New York

The first of two workshops dedicated in 2018 to the topic of inclusive and innovative partnerships for effective global governance of migration, explore dexisting partnership mechanisms and evaluate both achievements and challenges encountered.

The CDAC event: “Radio - A beacon of progress in today’s tech-led communication landscape” being held in Geneva, Switzerland at IOM HQ in support of World Radio Day.

The UN Summit on Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants, which took place on Monday (19/09) in New York, created a singular opportunity for the global community to forge a greater consensus on managing the world’s movements of migrants and refugees. With representatives of nearly two hundred nation states looking on, DG Swing and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon signed a document formally linking IOM to the UN. It established IOM as a “related organization” of the UN, giving the UN for the first time, an explicit migration mandate. “We are gathered here today for an historic Summit – the first ever to assemble Heads of State from around the world to address the question of refugees and migrants,” said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing in his opening remarks to the Summit at the UN General Assembly.

IOM’s 5th Global Chiefs of Mission Meeting

IOM Niger three-day “Festival on Safe and Informed Migration” in Agadez, Niger. The objective was to raise awareness and increase access to information about migration for transiting and potential migrants, the host population and migrants living in the city’s migrant ghettos.The festival opened at the IOM transit center with a video screening exploring migration in Niger and in the region. It included documentaries from Odysseus 2.0, a project which produced photos and videos of the migration route to Europe. Other activities on Day 1 included a football match in the town square between a migrant team and young people from Agadez and an evening of participatory theatre to encourage debate about informed decisions about migration and safer alternatives to irregular routes. Day 2 focused on the host community and a public discussion was organized at the Sultanate of Aïr with the active participation of Agadez Association of Women. In the evening a mobile cinema caravan showed more videos and an educational movie. On the Day 3 IOM staff took part in a radio talk show “Cercle des Migrants”, produced by IOM, to answer to listeners’ questions. The festival concluded with a video forum in an Agadez ghetto, followed by a Question and Answer session. The festival was part of an IOM project: “Supporting Informed Migration in Niger,” co-funded by the European Union and the Italian Ministry of Interior.

IOM-AVRR consultation in Geneva HQ. Initiated by RO Brussels which brought together some 60 CoMs, HoOs and AVRR specialists to discuss key aspects of voluntary return and reintegration.

Launch of Joint Regional Refugee & Migrant Response Plan for Europe: Eastern Med & Western Balkans. 25th of January 2016

IOM's Conference on Migrants and Cities (CMC) bring together ministers, high-level government officials, mayors and other local authorities, the private sector and civil society organizations to discuss the complex dynamics of human mobility in cities and assess how challenges can be managed and development opportunities maximized. Held on 26 and 27 October 2015 in Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Inaugurate new immigration and police premises in Kilwa Masoko, Lindi region, and Kilambo, Mtwara region, constructed by IOM as part of a migration management project funded by the Government of Japan.