United Kingdom - The UN Migration Agency (IOM) has joined the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), which makes financial information about humanitarian aid easier to access, use and understand.

Developing countries face challenges in accessing up-to-date information about aid, development, and humanitarian flows needed to plan and manage resources effectively. People in developing countries and donor countries lack the information they need to hold their governments accountable for the use of those resources.

IATI is a voluntary, multi-stakeholder initiative that seeks to improve the transparency of aid, development, and humanitarian resources to increase their effectiveness in tackling poverty. It brings together donor and recipient countries, civil society organizations, and other experts in aid information, who are committed to working together to increase the transparency and openness of aid.

IOM has committed to start publishing information on its activities and results under IATI within a year from joining. IOM data will be available and used by a variety of stakeholders, from academia, governments, partner organizations, beneficiaries and the general public.

This commitment to IATI and transparency is an important element in further pursuing IOM’s long-standing commitment to maintain the highest level of efficiency of its operations. The organization decided to join the initiative after subscribing to the Grand Bargain, an agreement of more than 30 of the biggest donors and aid providers, which aims to get more means into the hands of people in need.

“The UN Migration Agency (IOM) considers transparency as key in making humanitarian action accountable, towards beneficiaries, donors and the public,” said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing. “IOM’s reporting in accordance with the IATI standard will benefit already existing initiatives, with the aim of improving accountability and efficient humanitarian programming.”

“As a member of IATI and signatory to the Grand Bargain, we are committed to actively contributing to the development of the standard, to ensure that it effectively meets the needs of the humanitarian community,” he continued.

IOM joins over 80 IATI members from across the development, aid and humanitarian sectors. More information on these organizations and how to join IATI can be found in their Members’ Assembly section.

For further information, please contact Olivia Headon at IOM HQ, Tel: +41 79403 53 65, Email: oheadon@iom.int or Rohini Simbodyal at IATI in the UK, Tel: +44 7814 178740, Email: Rohini.Simbodyal@devinit.org