IOM's collaboration with the UN system and its agencies is further strengthened by its membership in the Global Migration Group (GMG), an inter-agency group, meeting at both the working level as well as at the level of heads of agencies. The GMG aims to promote the wider application of all relevant international and regional instruments and norms relating to migration, and the provision of more coherent and stronger leadership to improve the overall effectiveness of the international community's and United Nation's policy and operational response to the opportunities and challenges presented by international migration.

The GMG grew out of an existing inter-agency group, the Geneva Migration Group, which was established in April 2003 by the heads of IOM, ILO, OHCHR, UNCTAD, UNHCR and UNODC. In early 2006 membership in the Geneva Migration Group was expanded to include UNDESA, UNDP, UNFPA and the World Bank. The Geneva Migration Group's Terms of Reference were updated, and it was renamed the "Global Migration Group". In November 2007 the GMG admitted a further four members – UNESCO, UNICEF, the United Nations Regional Commissions and UNITAR. In 2010, WHO and UN Women were admitted as members, bringing the total GMG membership to 16 agencies.

Briefing of United Nations Member States on the activities of the Global Migration Group. (© IOM 2007. Photo: Anke Strauss)

The GMG meets at regular intervals and has a rotating chair which changes every six months. IOM served as GMG chair from January to June in 2007. Those holding the Chair most recently have been:

• UNITAR, July to December 2009
• UNDP, January to June 2010
• OHCHR ,July to December 2010
• UNICEF, January to June 2011
  

The Chair for July to December 2011 is UNESCO.

Members

• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• UN Regional Commissions (ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA)
• World Bank
• World Health Organization (WHO)

Working Groups

The GMG has two working groups, in which IOM serves as co-chair.

• Working Group on Mainstreaming Migration into National Development Strategies, co-chaired by IOM and UNDP
• Working Group on Data and Research, co-chaired by IOM and UNDESA

GMG Documents

In 2010, an IOM initiated Handbook on Mainstreaming Migration into Development Planning was launched as a joint GMG publication.

IOM has contributed to a series of other documents available on the GMG website, in addition to the key ones listed below:

• GMG Terms of Reference
• GMG 2010: Mainstreaming Migration into Development Planning – A Handbook for Policymakers and Practitioners

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