Migration is a global phenomenon affecting all countries worldwide and its effective governance needs global partnerships. It is within this context that, since 2011, UNDP and IOM have been implementing a Joint Global Programme on Mainstreaming Migration (MM) into National Development Strategies with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The overarching objective of the programme is to enable eight target governments to better govern the migration phenomenon to increase the human development outcomes and mitigate the risks for migrants, their families and communities at origin and destination.

To achieve this the programme supports eight target governments – Bangladesh, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Serbia and Tunisia – to mainstream migration into their national development planning and other sectoral policies from a multi stakeholder and whole of government approach. This involves a large focus on knowledge sharing, capacity building, setting up institutional working groups and coordination mechanisms and more.

The Mainstreaming Programme has now reached the end of its second phase.

The mainstreaming process itself has been extremely successful with mainstreaming of migration going above and beyond the target in all eight partner countries and are manifest in rather distinct mainstreaming efforts depending on the existing legislation and migratory, political and development contexts in each country. Overall, the programme has supported the mainstreaming of migration into 12 national laws and policies and the development of 56 new migration and development-related policies, plans and programmes.

The main achievements of this programme are outlined below.

  • The programme has ensured that key migration and development stakeholders are engaged in a migration mainstreaming process in all 8 countries whereby migration has indeed been mainstreamed in different manners into all 8 national development strategies.
  • To support the mainstreaming process, specific inter-governmental coordination mechanisms have been set up in all countries to bring in all necessary actors and sectors together for a whole-of-government approach to mainstreaming that enhances policy coherence in migration and development.
  • Moreover, strong support has been provided to enhance data collection and the evidence-based approach to policy planning around migration and development through capacity building on data collection and management and supporting research efforts and development of migratory profiles.
  • All of the above has provided the guidance and legal framework necessary to start designing and implementing plans of action for the implementation of these policies which has taken place or is currently underway.
  • Throughout this process, IOM and UNDP have worked to strengthen the capacities of all involved by providing capacity building, training, technical assistance and facilitating peer-to-peer learning among the countries involved.

The results and lessons from the programme have been consistently fed into global dialogues such as the regional and national consultations in the lead up to the approval of the Global Compact on Migration as well as the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

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The Labour Mobility and Human Development Division

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
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CH-1211 Geneva 19
Switzerland
Email: lhd@iom.int
+41.22.717 9111
+41.22.798 6150