Over the past decades, the engagement of diasporas in development issues such as poverty reduction or economic growth, humanitarian response or post-crisis recovery has generated an increasing interest among a variety of stakeholders and governments in particular. Accordingly, IOM organized in 2013 the first ever International Diaspora Ministerial Conference bringing together high-level government officials as well as representatives of academia, diaspora organizations, civil society, media, and private sector from around the world.

Since then, there have been constant developments in the field of multilateral migration governance and development such as the adoption of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development (SDGs) in 2015, and of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in 2018. The latter, through its Objective 19, set the goal to “Create conditions for migrants and diasporas to fully contribute to sustainable development in all countries.”

On 1, 4 and 5 April 2022, IOM, as the lead international agency working on issues related to human mobility and as Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration, co-hosted a successful Global Diaspora Summit (GDS), in partnership with the Government of Ireland and other lead participating states. The Summit assisted States and partners in taking stock of achievements vis-à-vis Objective 19 as a contribution towards the quadrennial International Migration Review Forum happening in May 2022. The GDS convened governments, diaspora organizations, and other relevant actors to develop a collaborative vision, through meaningful and structured dialogue, towards actively engaging with transnational communities as agents and accelerators of sustainable development.

The outcome of the GDS is The Dublin Declaration, a plan of action for diaspora organizations to institutionalize and operationalize diaspora capitals across policies, programmes, and partnerships in a coherent and consistent framework. It outlines a concise and visionary plan of action to support strategic engagement of diaspora organizations. Most importantly, the document reflects the need to nurture partnerships across sectors and different levels of government, the necessity to create sustainable opportunities and mechanisms to learn and contribute, and the relevance to keep fostering innovative solutions and programmes tailored to the interests and skills of diaspora members.

Agenda
  • Download the final agenda of the Summit here.
Event documents
Photos
The Dublin Declaration

The outcome of the Global Diaspora Summit is The Dublin Declaration a plan of action and tangible of commitments to institutionalize and operationalize diaspora capitals across policies, programmes, and partnerships in a coherent and consistent framework.

The commitments made represent the firm belief in diaspora engagement as a long-term force for impact across all sustainable development pillars, social, human, economic, and environmental. The document reflects the need to nurture partnerships across sectors and different levels of government, create sustainable opportunities and mechanisms to learn and contribute, and foster innovative solutions and programmes tailored to the interests and skills of diaspora members.

If you are a government or organization who would like to give your support to the Dublin Declaration, please let us know by emailing: globaldiaspora@iom.int

The Dublin Declaration: Arabic, EnglishFrench, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish

Supporters of the Dublin Declaration

Countries and organizations that have supported the Dublin Declaration: 

African Union, Armenia, Bangladesh, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye, Uruguay. 

If you are a government or organization who would like to give your support to the Dublin Declaration, please let us know by emailing: globaldiaspora@iom.int.