#IMRF2026 is not about statements for their own sake.
Countries are taking stock of where progress has been made, where gaps remain, and what it will take to deliver more consistent results in the years ahead.
Today, at #IMRF2026 one message is clear: migration works but only when it is managed with cooperation, trust and purpose.
Over the next four years, success must be measured in real outcomes: fewer lives lost, stronger action against smuggling and trafficking, expanded safe and regular pathways, and migration that supports development and responds to labor market needs.
These are not abstract goals – they are achievable with coordinated, evidence-based action.
The Global Compact for Migration gives us a practical framework, grounded in the simple truth that no country can manage migration alone.
We have the tools. We have the data. Now we need to act – together.
Candelaria dreamed of turning handmade bags into a business. In Guatemala, Indigenous women made it real.
Together, they built Ruchoq’a’ Ixöq - a shared, women‑run marketplace meaning Women’s Strength.
This is what community‑led development looks like.
In Beirut, I met families, including migrants, displaced by escalating hostilities in Lebanon - now living in overcrowded shelters.
Over 1M people have fled their homes.
We must protect civilians and scale up support for those displaced and host communities.
Across Lebanon, more than a million people can no longer live at home.
Many have moved from the south toward the north - arriving in communities already under immense pressure.
Parents are struggling to find the most basic essentials for their children, including baby formula. Many families lack safe shelter, blankets, food, and access to schooling.
These needs are urgent and growing.
IOM is working closely with the Government of Lebanon and partners to expand life‑saving assistance and ensure displaced families can access the protection and services they need.
Together, we are committed to practical, humane solutions that uphold dignity for everyone affected.
Three years into the conflict, Sudan still faces record displacement. Families are returning, but to damaged homes and no services.
IOM is delivering shelter, food, water and healthcare to millions, even as aid is stretched thin.
The world must step up. Stand with Sudan.
In Boa Vista, Roraima, I visited the headquarters of Operation Welcome. Here, the Brazilian Armed Forces, federal and state authorities, and partners like IOM work together to ensure people on the move are received with dignity and clear pathways to stability.
Since 2018, IOM has supported documentation, basic services, and voluntary relocation so newcomers can build safer, more predictable futures.
Brazil’s leadership shows how well‑managed migration works when national ownership and strong partnerships come together. IOM remains committed to strengthening reception, protection, and integration so communities and migrants can thrive.
Water shapes daily life and, increasingly, why people move.
Droughts, floods, and unsafe water place the greatest strain on families - especially women and girls.
IOM delivers life‑saving WASH support and helps communities rebuild stronger, lasting systems.
#WorldWaterDay
The debate around migration here in South Africa is real, and it’s fierce.
Unemployment is high. Pressure on services is real. Frustration is legitimate.
But this week — in South Africa — I met ministers, communities, and people on the move who are choosing a harder, better path.
I listened. And what I heard was leadership.
Smart borders. Fairer labour pathways. Digital systems built to work for everyone. A serious country asking serious questions — and doing the work to answer them.
Migration governed well doesn’t take from a country. It adds to it. That’s not ideology. That’s evidence.
And it’s what we’re building — together.
Lesotho is charting a new path - one built on skills, opportunity, and partnership.
This week on the ground, I met young people preparing for safe, dignified migration through training that opens real doors, whether they build their lives abroad or right here at home. I met entrepreneurs creating jobs in their own communities.
What struck me most is the shared commitment: government leaders, local partners, families, and the diaspora all working toward the same goal: a future where movement is safe, opportunity grows, and every person has the chance to thrive.
IOM is proud to support Lesotho as it accelerates this vision. The momentum is real and deeply inspiring.
Together, we can help ensure the next chapter brings even greater dignity and opportunity for all.
Millions of people around the world are fleeing conflict, disaster and crisis in search of safety and dignity.
“Our response must be solidarity.”
@IOMChief calls on more governments to step up in support of the humanitarian community’s plan to save #87MillionLives.
Rights. Justice. Action.
I'm thinking today about the millions of women who migrate not just for survival, but for possibility - to support their families, gain skills, build something better.
They're sending money home that keeps entire communities afloat. They're returning with knowledge and networks that spark change. They're entrepreneurs, caregivers, leaders.
But too often, the systems we've built don't fully support them. Too many women migrants work in vulnerable conditions without protection. Too many face barriers that limit what they can achieve.
If we truly believe migration can drive development, we have to build pathways that work for women - safe mobility, access to opportunity, support that recognizes the leadership and skills women bring.
When women can move safely and contribute fully, everyone benefits. Families. Communities. Entire economies.
On this International Women's Day, let's move from recognition to action. Women on the move deserve systems that match their determination.
What does meaningful action look like to you?
