Rising to the Challenge: New IOM/IDMC Global Partnership to Address Internal Displacement

29 November 2018, Geneva – Efforts to provide solutions to the tens of millions of people displaced within their own countries by conflict and disasters will be enhanced by the new partnership announced today between the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

The partnership links IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), the world’s largest source of primary data on internal displacement, and IDMC’s leading expertise in internal displacement data analysis, research and policy development.  

Ultimately, the organisations endeavour to advance national and global policies to improve the lives of internally displaced people (IDPs) across the world.

“IOM’s interventions in favour of IDPs, in support of our Member States, make up a significant share of our work globally. This partnership will take us to new levels of quality and consistency, and allow us to mobilize attention on an issue that has not been given sufficient consideration,” said António Vitorino, IOM’s Director-General.

“IDMC has been a long-standing partner of IOM’s and we are delighted to be formalizing and expanding the breadth of this collaboration,” he added.

Internal displacement continues to grow, driven by instability, conflict and disasters, even as the international community marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. 

The number of IDPs has nearly doubled since 2000, increasing sharply over the last five years. In addition to the estimated 40 million people internally displaced by conflict, a further 18.8 million people were internally displaced in 2017 due to climate-related disasters and natural hazards, according to IDMC.

“There are still many gaps in how we understand and address this issue,” said Alexandra Bilak, Director of IDMC. “The challenges and opportunities of the current global landscape of internal displacement require a strategic approach, and this partnership provides us with the political leverage we need to scale up our work, to develop new approaches and to help governments find lasting solutions to this issue.” 

Moving forward, IOM and IDMC will develop a joint resource mobilization strategy to finance their mutual efforts, and work hand-in-hand to achieve more comprehensive approaches, across the entire continuum of displacement.

 

Notes to editors:

The UN Migration Agency is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society.
As the leading international organization for migration, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to:

• assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management;
• advance understanding of migration issues;
• encourage social and economic development through migration; and
• uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world's authoritative source of data and analysis on internal displacement. Since their establishment in 1998, as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), they have offered a rigorous, independent and trusted service to the international community. IDMC’s work informs policy and operational decisions that improve the lives of the millions of people living in internal displacement, or at risk of becoming displaced in the future.

 

For interviews please contact:

Angela Wells, Public Information Officer, IOM’s Department of Operations and Emergencies
Email: awells@iom.int
Phone: +41 79 403 5365

Frankie Parrish, Interim Head of Communications, IDMC
Email: Frankie.Parrish@IDMC.ch
Phone: +41 22 552 36 45