What is the International Organization for Migration (IOM)?

About International Organization for Migration (IOM):

• Established in 1951, IOM is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners.
• IOM is part of the United Nations system as a related organization.
• It is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society.
• 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 is the UN agency in charge of labour mobility and migration in general.
  • Its labour mobility and human development division is responsible for providing policy and operational guidance in matters related to labour mobility, diaspora communities and their links to development, and migrant integration. 
• The IOM is the coordinator for the Secretary of the UN Network on Migration.
• It supported the negotiation and adoption of the UN Global Compact for Migration, a UN global agreement for international migration adopted in 2018. 
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Member States: IOM has 175 member states and 8 observer states.
• Publications: World Migration Report, Migration Health Annual Report.

Q1: What is the UN Global Compact for Migration?

The global compact for migration is the first, inter governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, to cover all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner. The global compact is non-legally binding. It is grounded in values of state sovereignty, responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights, and recognizes that a cooperative approach is needed to optimize the overall benefits of migration, while addressing its risks and challenges for individuals and communities in countries of origin, transit and destination.

Source: TH