Conference on Migrants and Cities

The Conference on Migrants and Cities was held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 26 and 27 October 2015 within the framework of IOM’s annual International Dialogue on Migration (IDM).

The Conference was IOM’s second global meeting following the milestone Diaspora Ministerial Conference in 2013. It gathered approximately 600 participants including mayors, representatives from
local authorities, ministers and high-level government officials, as well as delegates from international organizations, NGOs, academia, the private sector, media and also migrants to discuss the link between
migration and cities and the key role of local authorities in migration policymaking.

The Conference was opened by the IOM Director General and featured keynote addresses by the Mayor of Geneva, by the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, and by the
Director, Strategy and General Affairs, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission. In keeping with the practice of providing a forum for migrants, the “Migrant’s Voice” session presented the testimonies of two young migrants.

The Conference was also the venue of the launch of the World Migration Report 2015: Migrants and Cities: New Partnerships to Manage Mobility, and of two side events. The first side event introduced the IOM/JMDI White Paper on Mainstreaming Migration into Local Development Planning; the second one launched IOM’s global campaign I am a migrant and presented a documentary illustrating stories of
migrant children on the move in cities.

The Conference discussions were divided into six sessions, each with one or two panels, and led by 64 speakers, representing a balanced mix of policymakers, experts in the areas of migration, urbanization and development, academics, private sector and civil society. The composition of the panels ensured a good geographical and gender balance with speakers, of whom 21 were women, representing almost all
regions worldwide.

Read the Summary of conclusions