The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Task Force on Displacement (TFD) and other stakeholders, is advocating for concrete actions to mitigate displacement caused by the adverse impacts of climate change. This call to action aims to integrate climate-related displacement into the institutional framework on loss and damage, which will be discussed at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
CLIMATE AND DISPLACEMENT
The latest Synthesis Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights the increasing role of climate and weather extremes in driving displacement across all regions. Disasters in 2022 resulted in a record-high 32.6 million internal displacements, with profound consequences for affected populations. These challenges require urgent partnerships and collaborative efforts to provide safety, empowerment, and informed decision-making for those displaced by climate-related factors.
Manuel Marques Pereira, head of the IOM Migration, Environment, Climate Change, and Risk Reduction (MECR) Division, emphasizes the importance of supporting countries and communities in establishing robust capacities to prevent, minimize, and address displacement as a priority for the IOM as the humanitarian co-lead in displacement management during disasters.
In Geneva, IOM and the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) brought together partners to consolidate positions and identify avenues for disseminating TFD recommendations within the context of the Santiago Network, the Transitional Committee, and the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement. The goal is to build upon the decisions made at COP27 on loss and damage and ensure that displaced persons are considered in relevant discussions and decisions.
FORMULATING POLICIES
Stakeholders urge Parties to acknowledge the importance of displaced persons in loss and damage-related deliberations. Key messages based on the discussions during the meeting are being formulated to enhance understanding of the role and significance of human mobility in the context of climate change, while also proposing concrete responses to address loss and damage.
Atle Solberg, Head of the PDD Secretariat, acknowledges the opportunity to influence the institutional framework on loss and damage but also highlights the challenges of scaling interventions, improving coordination, and promoting policy coherence. The TFD serves as a platform to address these challenges, and the meeting aims to contribute to the landscape of loss and damage.
This technical consultation of the TFD, organized by the Secretariat of the Platform on Disaster Displacement and IOM, underscores their roles as TFD members and leading partners in environmental migration and disaster displacement. The recommendations developed by the TFD, endorsed by Parties at COP24, are currently being implemented through the third Plan of Action of the TFD.