Ten years after reaching a cooperation agreement, IOM and UNFPA,
the United Nations Population Fund, have endorsed an updated
agreement to address current global challenges on migration issues.




Signed in Geneva this week by UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya
Ahmed Obaid and IOM Director-General Brunson McKinley, the
agreement particularly focuses on promoting the human rights of
migrants and on combating sexual violence, with special emphasis on
migrant girls and women.



The agreement supports the development of policies and regulations
and promoting increased international dialogue. This would help
maximize the development potential of international migration. It
also enables the two organizations to carry out joint research and
data collection on migration which will allow for the development
of policies focusing on gender and youth issues, undocumented and
irregular migrants, and victims of trafficking, as well as on
reproductive health issues.



Although the two organizations have been research partners for many
years, increasing globalization has necessitated more intensified
collaboration, with a greater focus on the scale of migration
challenges and trends.



UNFPA, whose role it is to raise awareness, advocate and respond to
national, regional and global needs on population, reproductive
health, gender and human rights issues, also promotes an enhanced
awareness of the social, economic and environmental implications of
the mass movement of peoples.



“Given the increased importance of international migration,
especially the link between migration and development, UNFPA is
pleased to sign this new agreement with IOM to facilitate our
efforts to ensure that each woman's, man's and young person’s
migration experience is a positive one,” said Ms. Obaid.
“Together, we can ensure that migration is recognized as an
important factor in development, and that the needs and rights of
women and young migrants are promoted and protected.”



"By working closer together, particularly in much needed areas of
research and data collection, this agreement can allow for the
development of policies that protect migrants more and greatly
lessen the risk of human trafficking and sexual violence as part of
a managed migration approach,” said Mr. McKinley. “We
know that migrants contribute enormously to socio-economic
development world-wide. By ensuring their human rights are
protected, we also ensure that the full potential of migration is
realized.”



For further information, please contact:



Jemini Pandya

IOM Geneva

Tel: + 41 22 717 9486

E-mail: "mailto:jpandya@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">jpandya@iom.int



or



Omar Gharzeddine

UNFPA, New York

Tel: +1 212 297-5028

E-mail: "mailto:gharzeddine@unfpa.org" target="_blank" title=
"">gharzeddine@unfpa.org