IOM and the UN: Unfinished Business

Abstract

In July 2016 the UN and IOM entered into an agreement whereby the IOM became a related organisation within the UN system. In September of that year, the UN commenced negotiations towards the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to be adopted in Summer 2018. This paper examines the place of UN human rights obligations regarding migrants and the IOM Member states' position that it should remain a 'non-normative' agency even after its inclusion in the UN system. We question whether the primacy given to national law, and the lack of any reference to international law or human rights in the IOM Constitution are compatible with the substantial role assigned to the organisation in the development of the Global Migration Compact which the UN General Assembly has determined is a human rights driven project.