On Monday, the International Organization for Migration joined the United Nations as a related organization. If you thought it was already part of the U.N. system, you’re not alone.
The IOM has seen its profile rise in recent years as migration has become a full-on megatrend. In the world, 1 in 7 people are migrants, with the surge of forced displacement casting a dark shadow over the reality of a world on the move. More people today are displaced from their homes — 65 million — than ever before in history.
Amid the attention focused on migrants and refugees in this United Nations General Assembly, the IOM finalized its association agreement with the U.N. Devex squeezed into an elevator with IOM Secretary General William Lacy Swing, for an up close and personal interview on the sidelines of the U.N. Summit on Migrants and Refugees in New York.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
