About IOM

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.

With 157 member states, a further 10 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

The IOM Constitution recognizes the link between migration and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to the right of freedom of movement.

IOM works in the four broad areas of migration management:

Migration and development

Facilitating migration

Regulating migration

Forced migration

IOM activities that cut across these areas include the promotion of international migration law, policy debate and guidance, protection of migrants' rights, migration health and the gender dimension of migration.

About Regional Consultative Process (RCP)

Regional consultative process (RCP) on migration brings together representatives of states, international organizations and, in some cases, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for informal and non-binding dialogue and information exchange on migration-related issues of common interest and concern. Although governments have generally taken the primary lead in establishing RCPs, in some cases, IOM has also had a leading role, together with the governments concerned.

About IOM Secretariat

IOM participates in most of the major RCPs as a member, partner or observer and provides secretariat-type services for many of the major RCPs. IOM has served as the secretariat for the Colombo Process since its inception and continues to support it, through activities borne out of the Colombo Process. It contributes to RCPs in other ways at the request of participating governments (for example, through research and information dissemination, policy advice, capacity-building and technical cooperation, and project implementation).