IOM will participate in a round table organized by the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) in London, on 10 December on the outcomes of and follow up to the UN General Assembly High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development which took place on 3-4 October at the UN in New York.

The round table will focus on the Declaration adopted by the General Assembly, the Secretary General’s Eight-point Agenda for Action, and the 8 point 5 year plan put forward jointly by Civil Society, discussing whether the emphasis on the issues is right, if there are any missing and what should happen with their implementation.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this discussion and speak about IOM’s strategy and action plan for the coming years", said Jill Helke, IOM Director of International Cooperation and Partnerships, who will participate in the round table. "Migration is an issue that offers many opportunities but also poses significant challenges for societies and governments. It is more urgent than ever to ensure deeper understanding of the realities, and discuss policies and priorities to maximize the benefits of migration and mitigate its ill effects". […]

Dublin Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn yesterday launched a toolkit designed to encourage migrants to volunteer in the community as a path to integration.

The Grassroots Integration through Volunteering Experiences (GIVE) project (2012-2014) is a European Union-backed IOM initiative funded piloted in four locations – Dublin in Ireland; The Hague in the Netherlands; Ipswich in the UK and Vienna in Austria.

The toolkit, which has been published in English, Dutch and German, is a resource for anyone interested in volunteering in their new communities and any organization interested in involving foreign volunteers.

The goal of the project is to help promote integration of migrants in their new communities through their increased participation in local volunteer schemes and opportunities with the overall objective of creating and maintaining inclusive neighbourhoods and also contributing to enhanced public perception of migration and diversity. […]

Eight Senior officials from the Libyan Ministry of Labour and Capacity Building have returned from a one-week IOM-organized tour to Spain to become acquainted with international best practices in the field of labour migration.

While in Spain the delegation, headed by deputy minister for Labour, Ibrahim Abu Ridaa, met with Spanish high-ranking employment and immigration officials. The two sides discussed labour migration schemes, circular immigration and migrant community integration.

The delegation visited the Spanish-Colombian Centre in the capital, Madrid. The centre’s objective is to facilitate the full integration of immigrants living in Madrid into the community. The delegation was briefed on the centre’s services including job search workshops, employment exchange, occupational training courses and legal sessions on rights and responsibilities in the area of employment and residency status. […]

As countries gather in New York for the 2nd UN High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD), IOM urges leaders to overcome differences and agree on concrete measures for global action on migration.

"We cannot afford to miss this opportunity", says IOM’s Director General, Ambassador William Lacy Swing. "We have a chance to make a difference for millions of migrants and their families".

Since the 1st UN HLD in 2006, more countries have come to realize the significance of migration in the 21st century, including as an enabler of development. […]

IOM Director General William Lacy Swing is heading the IOM delegation participating in the second UN High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) taking place this week at UN HQ in New York.

"IOM views the 2013 HLD as an important opportunity to review progress since the first HLD and to improve the governance of migration, in particular as regards the protection of the human rights of all migrants; perceptions of migrants and migration; and reflection of migration in national and global development agendas, in a spirit of multilateral cooperation", said Ambassador Swing. […]