Partnership, enhanced labour mobility plans, and policies are needed for sustainable management of migration, said Amy Pope, Director General-Elect of International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Pope spoke to attendees at the International Conference on Development and Migration, held yesterday at the Italian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Rome.

Migration, if properly managed, can contribute to development of all countries (whether host, source or transit) involved in this phenomenon, and societies at all levels.

“Evidence shows that well-managed migration spurs economic development. Considering the demographic trends and changing global labour market, we must start now to create more comprehensive, inclusive, and strategic migration solutions, and integrate more strategic and humane mobility policies into regional and national adaptation plans,” Pope said.

The conference, organised by the Italian government to address migration challenges, such as irregular migration and forced international displacement, including their root causes, brought together representatives from European, African and Middle Eastern countries involved in management of migration flows.

In an international context characterised by economic crises, conflicts, and natural disasters, migration is proving to be one of the most important geopolitical phenomena of the century.

The adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation, in particular, are increasingly driving migration and internal displacement.

“Last year, natural disasters displaced 32.6 million people: 7.5 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone,” said Pope. “But this is just the beginning. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) estimates that more than 300 million people live in communities that are extremely vulnerable to climate change.

“We know from collective experience that if people no longer have a home or a way to earn a living, they will move. This is human. Migration is the first and most humane adaptation strategy.”

Pope stressed the need for strategic, forward-looking and mutually beneficial partnerships to harness benefits of migration. “No government or international organisation can do this work alone. We need to invest in partnerships in all sectors of society. We need the private sector to invest, recognising that they benefit from good migration management, and we need the support of civil society.”

Pope also emphasised the need to strengthen measures to prevent and curb irregular migration flows, while preventing loss of life, particularly in the Mediterranean, where nearly 2,000 deaths have already been recorded since the beginning of the year.