UN: International Organization for Migration

Intent continues a series of publications in which we tell you which countries are members of certain international organizations and what role they play in the world. In theprevious issues, we looked at the essence of the work of:
World Bank,
General Assembly,
Security Council,
International Court of Justice,
UNICEF,
Red Cross and others.

General characteristics of the UN

The United Nations consists of 193 states. All sovereign countries can be found among the UN member states, except for the Vatican. Such a respectable representation potentially allows for consideration of any global or regional issues. In particular, the UN is able to extinguish armed conflicts, as it did many times in the twentieth century (Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia).

The organization is headquartered in New York. The UN also has additional offices in Vienna, Geneva, Nairobi, and The Hague. The organization uses six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

The UN structure includes six main bodies: The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice and the Trusteeship Council. However, the latter body has been formally suspended since 1994. The chief official of the UN is the Secretary-General. Since January 1, 2017, this position has been held by the Portuguese politician and diplomat Antonio Guterres.

General description of the International Organization for Migration

The International Organization for Migration (hereinafter - IOM) is an intergovernmental organization within the UN system that functions to address migration issues. IOM develops rules, provides advice in the field of migration and monitors the observance of migrants' rights. The organization is headquartered in Geneva. IOM has 175 member countries.

IOM headquarters in Geneva. Photo: alamy.com

The organization is headed by the Director-General, who is elected for a five-year term. On June 29, 2018, a Portuguese lawyer and politician Antonio Vitorino was elected to this position. He became the tenth IOM Director General.

IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino. Photo: Photo.

The organization was founded in 1951 to help European countries regulate migrant flows after World War II. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the organization provided assistance to migrants during various conflicts and disasters: Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), Chile (1973), Vietnam (1975), Kuwait (1990), Kosovo and Timor (1999), Iraq (2003), the Asian tsunami and the earthquake in Pakistan (2004-05), etc. The organization received its current name only in 1989. Interestingly, IOM joined the UN system only in 2016.

IOM management

The highest governing body of IOM is the Council. The key functions of the Council are as follows: to determine and monitor the policies and activities of the organization; to approve and direct the activities of subordinate bodies and the Director General; to approve the IOM budget. Each IOM member country has one representative on the Board and one vote. The Council holds one regular session per year. Special sessions are held by the Council as needed.

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The 113th session of the IOM Council. Video: IOM

The Administration consists of the Director-General, two Deputy Directors-General and such staff as the Council deems necessary. It is responsible for the organization of the work of IOM.

IOM activities

IOM's activities are based on the principle that migration, properly organized and humanely managed, should benefit all. IOM promotes international cooperation on migration issues, helps to find practical solutions to migration problems, and provides assistance to migrants in need.

IOM is committed to managing migration issues worldwide. In particular, it develops a global strategy, sets standards, and disseminates knowledge about migration. Through its Development Fund, IOM supports regional and global projects. Support includes technical oversight and expertise, and cooperation with governments and the private sector.

IOM coordinates the efforts of Member States, intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the media. IOM organizes and supports the activities of international forums, including the International Dialogue on Migration, established in 2001. The organization also monitors migration policy developments at the national and international levels and actively promotes understanding of international migration law. IOM widely communicates the organization's position on key trends in international migration policy.

IOM works with the consequences of crises, such as epidemics, disasters, and armed conflicts. The organization assists displaced persons and supports the population of the territories that are at the epicenter of the crisis. IOM tries to reduce the factors that force people to leave their homes, helps to counter these factors and focuses on minimizing the risks of crisis events.

IOM supports data generation and research in the field of migration. This helps to promote global understanding of migration processes by bridging the gap between research and practice. IOM actively publishes its research. One of its key products is the World of Migration Report, a series of regular publications launched in 2000.

IOM supported the creation of the Global Compact on Migration, the first intergovernmental agreement covering all aspects of international migration. The Compact was adopted by the majority of UN Member States at an intergovernmental conference in Marrakech on December 10, 2018. To support the implementation of the treaty, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the UN Migration Network. IOM is tasked with helping countries to implement the Compact. The organization acts as the coordinator of the UN Migration Network.

IOM and Ukraine

The IOM Mission in Ukraine was established in Kyiv in 1996, when Ukraine was granted observer status. In 2001, Ukraine applied for IOM member state status, and in 2002, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the organization's statute.

After the Russian invasion in February 2022, IOM joined the process of assisting Ukraine. In late May, the European Union and IOM launched a nationwide communication campaign on the safety of internally displaced persons. The aim of the campaign was to draw people's attention to the potential risks associated with displacement. IOM has also organized hotlines in Ukraine and other European countries for those affected by the war.

According to IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino in September 2022, the organization has provided assistance to about 800,000 Ukrainians affected by the war. It was also reported that, thanks to funding from the European Union, IOM plans to help more than 700,000 Ukrainians this winter. The planned activities include repair of collective centers for displaced persons and damaged houses, improvement of water supply, sewage and heating systems, provision of warm blankets, bedding, mattresses and hygiene products. The program also provides solid fuel and cash assistance.

Distribution of firewood to people living without heating and electricity in Borodyanka. Photo: IOM UKRAINE

For more than 70 years, IOM has gained considerable credibility in the world. The organization develops global strategy and sets standards in the field of migration, conducts research, publishes results and actively disseminates knowledge, provides advice to governments, supports projects and assists migrants.

Analysts note that IOM's interests in many cases overlap with the activities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The problem is that the term "migrant" has no clear definition, so it can theoretically apply to refugees dealt with by the UNHCR. The overlap of jurisdictions occurs, for example, when a person is under pressure to leave their country but has not yet been granted refugee status.

IOM joined the UN in 2016, which was supposed to finally resolve all misunderstandings within a single system. The organizations are able to cooperate on various projects, but competition between them continues. The UN should make efforts in this and many other cases to draw a clear demarcation line between the jurisdictions of the organizations. We believe that in an ideal world, the UN system would be restructured, with its endless bureaucracy, numerous overlapping responsibilities, and organizations that are unable to effectively address problems within their jurisdictions, but in practice this is clearly not possible.

Олег Пархітько