IOM Actively Participates in the 7th World Urban Forum Held in Medellin, Colombia
Analysis:
Internal and international migrants are part of the challenge, as well as the solution, of rapid urbanization
There are an estimated 232 million international migrants and 740 million internal migrants worldwide. More than 51% of the world’s population are living today in urban areas, including migrants (internal and internationals). Some 2.7 billion persons are expected to move to cities by 2030, particularly in Africa and Asia. It is estimated that about 3 million people are moving to cities each week, mostly from developing countries.
By 2050 it is expected that the number of people living in cities will almost double from 3.4 billion in 2009 to 6.3 billion, turning much of the world into a global village. Human mobility and migration have an important role both in the debates of the 7th Session of the World Urban Forum on urbanization, and in the current discussion of municipal and local governments for the inclusion of migration and migrants in development local and regional planning.
Colombia - IOM actively participated in the 7th World Urban Forum (WUF) held this month in Medellin, Colombia, as well as in the special High Level Inter UN session chaired by the Executive Director of UN-Habitat and Habitat III Secretary General, Joan Clos.
The WUF, a non-legislative technical forum convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) hosted in a different city every two years, examines the most pressing issues facing the world today in the area of human settlements, including rapid urbanization and its impact on cities, communities, economies, climate change and policies.
This year’s Forum, “Urban Equity in Development - Cities for Life” attended by more than 10,000 persons, is expected to feed substantively into preparation process of the Post 2015 Development Agenda.
During the Forum, IOM highlighted the need to include the issue of habitat, urbanization and migration in the Post 2015 Development Agenda process.
During the special High Level Inter UN session, attended by IOM and 25 agencies, including UNHCR, UNHCHR, UNDP, ILO, UNICEF, UNESCO), the discussion centered on defining key elements for the new urban agenda and the support needed from agencies taking part in United Nations Habitat III, the first global UN conference to be celebrated following the adoption of post-2015 development framework.
IOM expressed its commitment in supporting the preparatory process for UN Habitat III and emphasized the need to strengthen the institutional aspects that allow access human rights for migrant populations, as well as those relating to risk reduction in cases of natural disasters that can lead to the acceleration and lack of planning of urbanization.
IOM’s Regional Director for South America, Diego Beltrand, highlighted the joint work with migrants associations, displaced populations and communities in ensuring that integration is part of migration in the post-2015 Development Agenda.
"IOM believes that migrants are key players in the development of cities, their growth, resilience and sustainability. Often, they can be part of the challenges that arise during and after crises, and can contribute to the solutions,” said Beltrand. “The global diaspora includes architects and builders of growing cities, service providers, employers, job creators and innovators,” he added.
IOM´s World Migration Report 2015 will focus on migrants and cities. It will feature, amongst others, access to employment, housing, education and health, and will shine a spotlight on the importance of how migrants help build and revitalize cities with their resources and ideas, both in countries of origin and in host countries. The IOM flagship publication will also highlight the need to build alliances between migrant groups, local governments, civil society and the private sector in order to respond to these challenges.
For more information, please contact:
Daniel Fernandez
IOM Colombia
Email: dfernandez@iom.int
or
Mactas Magdalena
Buenos Aires IOM
Email: mmactas@iom.int