Advocates and experts are watching closely to see how the International Organization for Migration will advance the concerns and well being of migrants two months after joining the United Nations as a related agency.
The 65-year-old organization tasked with overseeing global migration joined in hopes of accessing and influencing decisions in the U.N. coordination system, putting migration concerns at the forefront of crisis response. One of their first concrete tasks will be to spearhead a new Global Compact on Migration that could help lead to safer, more regular migration and foster better national policies and cross-border management.
It will be no easy task. Despite agreement among member states to form the migration compact, funding is lacking and there is little political will to address the issue immediately — even as it has become more pressing. The number of migrants globally soared to 244 million in 2015, up from 222 in 2010. A reported 5,238 migrants have died or disappeared so far this year, a 20 percent increase from the same time period last year. Meanwhile, the IOM is still navigating its role within the U.N. system.