International Organization for Migration

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International Organization for Migration
Formation6 December 1951;73 years ago (1951-12-06)
TypeUN Related Organization
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Membership175 member states and 8 observer states (2024 [1] )
Official languages
English, French and Spanish
Director General
Amy E. Pope
Revenue US$2.5 billion (2021)
Staff17,761 (2021)
Website www.iom.int

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations related organization working in the field of migration. The organization implements operational assistance programmes for migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers.

Contents

The International Organization for Migration is a UN agency based in Geneva. Its director general is Amy E. Pope. [2]

History

Historical context and predecessor organizations (1951 to 1989)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) was founded in 1951 in response to the large number of internally displaced persons and war refugees in Europe after the Second World War. The IOM was initially a logistics agency that organized the transport of nearly one million migrants in the 1950s and has undergone several name changes since its inception. The transition from the Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe (PICMME) in 1951 to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) in 1952, to the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM) in 1980, and finally to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 1989 reflects the evolution of the IOM's mandate over its existence, becoming the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. [3]

Integration into the United Nations and the present (1990 to date)

In 1992, it was granted observer status at the United Nations General Assembly (GA resolution A/RES/47/4). [3] In September 2016, the United Nations (UN) Member States, through the General Assembly, unanimously adopted a resolution approving the agreement to transform IOM into an affiliated organization of the UN. This agreement has strengthened the relationship between IOM and the UN and improved its ability to fulfill its respective mandates in the interests of migrants and Member States. [4]

The IOM supported the creation of the Global Compact for Migration, the first-ever intergovernmental agreement on international migration which was adopted in Marrakech, Morocco, in December 2018. [5] To support the implementation, follow-up and review of the Global Compact on Migration, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres established the UN Network on Migration in 2019. IOM coordinates the United Nations Network on Migration which includes UNHCR, WFP and UNDP, among others. [6] While the IOM's history tracks the man-made and natural disasters of the past half century, including Kosovo and Timor 1999, and the Asian tsunami, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Pakistan earthquake of 2004/2005, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the European migrant crisis—its credo that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society has steadily gained more international acceptance. [4]

Structure

Organization

International Organization for Migration headquarters in Geneva International Organization for Migration @ Le Grand-Saconnex (50636903118).jpg
International Organization for Migration headquarters in Geneva

The organization is headquartered in Geneva, with liaison offices in New York City and Addis Ababa. The Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) is based in Berlin. [7] In 2020, the organization reported that it had over 15,311 employees, with 168 nationalities represented. [7] The highest decision-making body of the IOM is the council, in which all member states are represented. It has rules of procedure and meets at regular intervals to adopt the annual budget and determine the organization's programmatic objectives. The official languages are English, French and Spanish. According to its own figures, the organization's budget in 2020 was around two billion US dollars. This is made up of voluntary contributions from the member states and donations. [7]

Director General

The Director General of the organization is elected by the delegates of the IOM member states for a five-year term. The following table lists the previous directors of the IOM and its predecessor organization, the ICEM. [8] The current Director General is Amy Pope from the United States of America, with Ugochi Daniels from Nigeria serving as Deputy Directors General. [8]

Mandate

The organization's global mandate includes assistance to migrants, including migrant workers, refugees and internally displaced persons. This broad mandate of the organization has earned it praise for flexibility in crisis situations, [4] but also criticism for legal accountability in protection issues. [9] Due to complementary mandates, IOM often cooperates with the UNHCR. [10]

For example IOM coordinates work in response to the situation in Venezuela through the Office of International Organization for Migration Director General's Special Envoy for the Regional Response to the Venezuela Situation working with UNHCR and 17 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), IOM is one of the central actors in humanitarian aid within the UN system, especially in the context of displacement. [11] IOM's main aid measures include shelter, protection, the provision of basic medical and sanitary care, life safety, coordination, telecommunications and logistics. On the instructions of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, IOM, together with UNHCR, is primarily responsible for camp coordination and management in humanitarian emergencies. [12] The organization is also active in stabilization, peacebuilding and development [13] in the context of migration.

Member states

Member states of the IOM: member observer non-members IOM members and observers.svg
Member states of the IOM:
 member
 observer
 non-members

As of 2023, the International Organization for Migration has 175 member states and 8 observer states. [14] Member states:

Observer States:

Non-Member States:

Criticism

2003 Amnesty and Human Rights Watch

In 2003, both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch were critical of the IOM's role in the Australian government's "Pacific Solution" of transferring asylum seekers to offshore detention centres. [15] [16] Human Rights Watch criticized the IOM for operating Manus Regional Processing Centre and the processing centre on Nauru despite not having a refugee protection mandate. [15] Human Rights Watch criticized the IOM for being part of "arbitrary detention" and for denying asylum seekers access to legal advice. [15] Human Rights Watch urged the IOM to cease operation the process centres, which it stated were "detention centres" and to hand management of the centres to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. [15]

Amnesty International expressed concern that the IOM undertook actions on behalf of governments that negatively impacted the human rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. [16] Amnesty International cited an example of fourteen Kurds in Indonesia who were expelled from Australian waters by Australian authorities and relocated to Indonesia. [16] Amnesty International requested an assurance that the IOM will abide by the principle of non-refoulement. [17]

2022 Refugee Council of Australia

In 2022, the role that the IOM played in housing refugees in Indonesia was described by the Refugee Council of Australia as presenting a "humanitarian veneer while carrying out rights-violating activities on behalf of Western nations” by researchers Asher Hirsch and Cameron Doig in The Globe and Mail . [18]

The community housing that the IOM operated, using Australian government funding, was described by the Refugee Council of Australia "inhumane conditions, solitary confinement, lack of basic essentials and medical care, physical and sexual abuse, and severe overcrowding". [18] Rohingya John Joniad described the housing as an "open prison". [18]

Uyghur refugees

In 2024, the IOM was criticized for being unable or willing to intervene in refugee cases involving Uyghurs. [19]

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 20,305 staff working in 136 countries as of December 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee</span> Displaced person

A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder." Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by a contracting state or by the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations System</span> Organisations comprising the UN

The United Nations System consists of the United Nations' six principal bodies, the Specialized Agencies and related organizations. The UN System includes subsidiary bodies such as the separately administered funds and programmes, research and training institutes, and other subsidiary entities. Some of these organizations predate the founding of the United Nations in 1945 and were inherited after the dissolution of the League of Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internally displaced person</span> Person forced to leave their home who remains within their country

An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forced displacement</span> Coerced movement of a person or persons away from their home or home region

Forced displacement is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence or human rights violations".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduardo Stein</span> Vice President of Guatemala

Eduardo Stein Barillas is a Guatemalan diplomat who served as the Vice President of Guatemala from 14 January 2004 to 14 January 2008, serving a concurrent four-year mandate with President Óscar Berger. He is currently the Joint Special Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration for Venezuelan refugees and migrants.

The Russian Federation's Law on Refugees defines who is a refugee for purposes of obtaining asylum in the country. The Law defines a refugee as a "person who is outside their country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail themself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution". Upon receiving an asylum seeker's application, the Russian Migration Service determines whether the asylum seeker meets the legislative definition of a "refugee" and should be granted asylum.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation in Cyprus is an office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) opened in August 1974 upon the request of the Government of Cyprus and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. UNHCR Representation in Cyprus was designated as Coordinator of the United Nations Humanitarian Assistance for Cyprus. UNHCR was also responsible upon the request of the Cyprus Government to examine applications for refugee status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Migrants Day</span>

On 18 December 1990, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

The International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) is an independent, “non-profit, humanitarian association having social values as its objectives”, founded in 1970 in Sanremo, Italy. Its headquarters are situated in Villa Ormond, while a liaison office of the Institute is established in Geneva, Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Organization for Peace, Care and Relief</span> Libyan non-governmental organization

The International Organization for Peace, Care and Relief (IOPCR) is a non-governmental organization based in Tripoli, Libya. Founded in 1999, the organization has special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and has an independent legal and financial status. The president of the organization is Khaled K. El-Hamedi, a son of Libyan former Major General Khweldi Hameidi.

Refugees of the Syrian civil war are citizens and permanent residents of Syria who fled the country in the course of the Syrian civil war. The pre-war population of the Syrian Arab Republic was estimated at 22 million (2017), including permanent residents. Of that number, the United Nations (UN) identified 13.5 million (2016) as displaced persons in need of humanitarian assistance. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 more than six million (2016) were internally displaced, and around five million (2016) crossed into other countries, seeking asylum or placement in Syrian refugee camps. It is believed to be one of the world's largest refugee crises.

The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) is a state-led, informal and non-binding process, which helps shape the global debate on migration and development. It provides a flexible, multi-stakeholder space where governments can discuss the multi-dimensional aspects, opportunities and challenges related to migration, development, and the link between these two areas. The GFMD process allows governments - in partnership with civil society, the private sector, the UN system, and other relevant stakeholders – to analyze and discuss sensitive issues, create consensus, pose innovative solutions, and share policy and practices.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Ukraine is an official representative office of the International Organization for Migration in the country and is located in its capital city Kyiv.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict</span> Office of the United Nations Secretariat

The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC) is an office of the United Nations Secretariat tasked with serving the United Nations' spokesperson and political advocate on conflict-related sexual violence, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC). The Special Representative holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the UN and chairs the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict. The mandate of the SRSG-SVC was established by Security Council Resolution 1888, introduced by Hillary Clinton, and the first Special Representative, Margot Wallström, took office in 2010. The current Special Representative is Pramila Patten of Mauritius, who was appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres in 2017. The work of the SRSG-SVC is supported by the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law/Sexual Violence in Conflict, co-led by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPO), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), also established under Security Council Resolution 1888.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Gigauri</span>

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As Indonesia did not sign the convention on the status of refugees and lacks any domestic legislations providing refugees rights, refugees in Indonesia do not have the right to employment, permanent residency or citizenship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabab Fatima</span> Bangladeshi diplomat

Rabab Fatima is a Bangladeshi diplomat. She is currently the high representative of the United Nations for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states (UNOHRLLS). Between 2019 and July 2022, she served as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations. Prior to this, she was Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan. On 1 February 2022, she was elected the Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

The Office of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General's Special Envoy for the Regional Response to the Venezuela Situation (OSE) is based in Panama City, Panama, and leads the coordination and operational oversight for 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean operating under the framework of the Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP), while serving as co-lead with UNHCR of the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants (R4V).  

References

  1. ↑ Member States
  2. ↑ Biography: IOM Director General
  3. 1 2 Megan Bradley (2017). "The International Organization for Migration (IOM): Gaining Power in the Forced Migration Regime". Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees. 33 (1): 97. doi: 10.25071/1920-7336.40452 .
  4. 1 2 3 Bradley, Megan (7 February 2020). The International Organization for Migration: Challenges, Commitments, Complexities. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315744896. ISBN   978-1-315-74489-6. S2CID   203200189.
  5. ↑ "GCM Development Process". www.iom.int. International Organization for Migration. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  6. ↑ "Amy Pope Makes History as First Woman Director General of IOM". iom.int. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "IOM Organizational Structure". International Organization for Migration. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Directors General and Deputy Directors General". International Organization for Migration. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Bast, Jürgen (2019). "Der Global Compact for Migration und das internationale Migrationsregime". Zeitschrift für Ausländerrecht und Ausländerpolitik (3): 96–99.
  10. ↑ Moretti, Sebastien (2021). "Between refugee protection and migration management: the quest for coordination between UNHCR and IOM in the Asia-Pacific region". Third World Quarterly. 42 (1): 34–51. doi: 10.1080/01436597.2020.1780910 .
  11. ↑ "OCHA - United Nations". asiadisasterguide.unocha.org. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "What is the Cluster Approach? | HumanitarianResponse". www.humanitarianresponse.info. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "IOM and UNDP team up to tackle migration and development issues facing West and Central Africa". UNDP. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Members and Observers" (PDF). International Organization for Migration. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Human Rights Protection in the Field: Current Concerns (Submitted by Human Rights Watch, IOM Governing Council Meeting, 86th Session, November 18–21, 2003, Geneva)". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  16. 1 2 3 "Amnesty International statement to the 86th Session of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)". Amnesty International. 20 November 2003. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  17. ↑ Amnesty International (20 November 2003). "Statement to the 86th Session of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 Griffiths, James (19 January 2022). "Trapped in Indonesia, Rohingya struggle to get by as laws block their path to asylum elsewhere". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  19. ↑ Mahtani, Shibani (12 December 2024). "A Uyghur man escaped China's Xinjiang. Cambodia deported him back" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
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