Climate change and environmental degradation are undoubtedly major concerns, and their impact on migration, health, peace and sustainable development are already manifest in all regions of the world. Ten years after the first IDM devoted to the emerging nexus between migration, environment and climate change in 2011, IOM brought this crucial topic back on the agenda at a time of increasing political urgency, and in view of the profound impacts of the COVID-19 global health crisis linking climate and migration to current and future development issues.
The first session of the 2021 IDM on the theme Accelerating integrated action on sustainable development: migration, the environment and climate change was held from 25 to 27 May 2021. It offered delegates in New York, Geneva and other locations worldwide a space to discuss some of the key dimensions of the migration, environment and climate change nexus, linked to the broader implementation of global frameworks, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Dialogue had several aims: to take stock of the progress made in terms of the state of knowledge, policy development and effective practices addressing key challenges around migration in the context of climate change and environmental degradation; to discuss specific challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; and to highlight opportunities for joint action and for the implementation of relevant international, regional and national frameworks. The session aimed to contribute to the political momentum building towards the 26th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), that took place in Glasgow, in November 2021.
The present publication provides a summary report of the deliberations at the session. It also includes a collection of experiences, best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations for advancing integrated action on migration, the environment and climate change in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.