Knowledge Fair and Impact Awards at IOM: Bridging Knowledge and Action to Harness the Power of Migration

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Knowledge Fair and Impact Awards @ IOM seeks initiatives that address key migration challenges and opportunities in line with IOM's strategic priorities, with an emphasis on strong collaboration with diverse partners, including national authorities, the private sector, academia, and other humanitarian and development actors. Submissions should focus on one or more of the following themes: 

Saving Lives and Protecting People on the Move

We seek submissions that enhance IOM’s humanitarian response and accountability to affected communities, utilizing approaches to boost the speed, efficiency, and scale of responses, and optimize service delivery in emergencies, rescue operations and border management. Ensuring safe, dignified environments in camps and urban settings, protecting vulnerable groups with specialized services (child protection, gender-based violence prevention, psychosocial support), and promoting data-driven approaches to understand and meet the needs of displaced, host, and mobile populations are also welcome. Additionally, we encourage initiatives that leverage partnerships with a variety of partners and stakeholders including national authorities, the private sector, academia and other humanitarian and development actors.

Addressing Climate Mobility and Driving Solutions to Displacement

We seek submissions that aim to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, conflict, and instability for at-risk communities. We seek submissions that enable climate solutions for climate mobility, disaster risk reduction, early warning early action, resilience and adaptation, and climate financing. We also encourage submissions related to durable solutions, resettlement, sustainable reintegration and peacebuilding to improve stability and promote access to healthcare, education, housing and livelihoods to build resilience and self-reliance of groups in situations of vulnerability. Additionally, we encourage initiatives that leverage partnerships with a variety of partners and stakeholders including national authorities, the private sector, academia and other humanitarian and development actors. 

Facilitating Pathways for Regular Migration

We welcome initiatives that support States and other stakeholders in establishing, enhancing and expanding regular migration pathways. We seek submissions that adopt whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to safely connect people, goods, services, knowledge, and innovation. Pathways should be people-centred, rights-based, accessible, sustainable and safe.  Additionally, we encourage initiatives that are leveraging new approaches in both narrative and practice, incorporating system-wide solutions across the entire spectrum of movement. This includes promoting migration as a driver of positive economic, social, and cultural outcomes for both migrants and communities. Additionally, we encourage initiatives that leverage partnerships with a variety of partners and stakeholders including national authorities, the private sector, academia and other humanitarian and development actors. 

Promoting Gender, Diversity, and Youth Empowerment

We encourage initiatives that champion inclusive approaches for migrants tackling their diverse needs and challenges related to sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, or disability. We seek submissions that address barriers to equal opportunities and outcomes, prioritize co-creation with youth, older persons, Indigenous communities, women, persons with disabilities, and other individuals, and protect migrants from violence, exploitation, and abuse. Additionally, building resilience and self-reliance among marginalized groups through improved access to education, health, livelihoods, employability opportunities, housing, and other services and employing gender-responsive approaches to address specific needs and vulnerabilities are key priorities. Additionally, we encourage initiatives that leverage partnerships with a variety of partners and stakeholders including national authorities, the private sector, academia and other humanitarian and development actors. 

Leveraging Data and Technological Solutions

Initiatives that harness existing and emerging technologies to tackle complex operational environments and the need for timely insights into IOM’s operations. This category seeks submissions in data collection, validation, analysis, and dissemination to support decision-making and project design. Initiatives that incorporate foresight, scenario-building, horizon scanning, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, big data or other data-driven digital solutions are particularly welcome. Additionally, we encourage initiatives that leverage partnerships and tap into the technological expertise of the private sector, academia and other humanitarian and development actors. 

Are you an IOM-er?

To participate, IOM offices need to complete an online application form on IOM’s Peer Exchange for Learning on Migration (POEM) Platform and submit a three-minute video showcasing their good practice. The video can include recorded messages, PowerPoint presentations, action videos, and testimonials from partners and beneficiaries. IOM offices at the HQ, regional and country level can only submit one entry.

Are you an IOM partner?

Interested external stakeholders (governments, academia, private sector, NGO, youth, diaspora, etc.) need to approach the IOM missions/offices they are working with to submit an entry.  

The video should address the following:

The context and issues: What is the context? Explain the challenges or issues the initiative aims to tackle.

• The initiative: What is the initiative, and how does it represent an effective and impactful approach to addressing the issue/s? Describe specific goals or objectives the initiative aims to achieve.
• The partnership: With whom did you partner? Specify collaborative efforts or joint activities that were undertaken to achieve common goals, including co-creation and implementation of initiatives with beneficiaries.
• The impact: Who benefitted from the initiative? Outline how this has contributed to a positive and long-term impact on migrants, communities, partners and other stakeholders.
• The next steps: What measures are in place to ensure the initiative's long-term sustainability? Discuss plans for replication and scaling of the initiative, if any, to maximize its impact.