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Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States - IOM 38th Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance - Item 2 Presentation by the Director General on the Annual Report for 2025

24.06.2026
Geneva
Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

 

Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States 

 

 

International Organisation for Migration

38th Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance

24-25 June 2026

________

 

 

Item 2

Presentation by the Director General on the Annual Report for 2025

 

________

 

International Organisation for Migration 

38th Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance

24-25 June 2026

Item 2 - Presentation by the Director General on the Annual Report for 2025

 

Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States 

 

Chair,

I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

Director General,

  1. We thank you for your leadership and express our appreciation to IOM staff for their dedication and resilience in supporting migrants and displaced populations amid growing humanitarian needs, complex migration dynamics and financial constraints.

  2. The Annual Report for 2025 demonstrates IOM’s commitment to deliver across its three strategic objectives while advancing route-based approaches, strengthening UN partnerships, investing in data and evidence-based policymaking, with a particular attention to gender and cross-cutting priorities of equality, diversity and inclusion.

  3. The Report highlights the need for a more sustainable and predictable financing model to maintain core capacities and a strong operational presence underpinning IOM’s effectiveness, accountability and resilience. We stand ready to engage constructively in discussions on budget reform. As a first step, we encourage IOM to elaborate options to strengthen its financing model. We also call on IOM to continue exploring financing avenues beyond traditional donors, diversify its donor base, and mobilise private sector partnerships and innovative financing.

  4. We reaffirm our support for IOM as a key partner in humane and effective migration governance. We remain committed to a comprehensive, 360-degree and whole-of-route approach to migration governance, grounded in international law, human rights and the principles of the UN Charter.

  5. With the recent entry into application of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, we value IOM’s contribution across the migration continuum, from addressing the drivers of displacement, supporting internally displaced persons and maintaining a protection-centred approach, to strengthening migration governance capacities and integration policies, promoting regular pathways in line with national competences, preventing dangerous irregular migration journeys, countering migrant smuggling and human trafficking as well as instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes, and facilitating safe, dignified and sustainable returns, readmission and reintegration, supported by effective cooperation with countries of origin and transit, in line with international law and the obligations it entails, including fundamental rights.

  6. This partnership is reflected in the fact that the European Union and its Member States remain IOM’s largest collective contributor, while the European Commission became its largest single donor in 2025.

  7. The second International Migration Review Forum served as an inclusive platform for States and other stakeholders to exchange views and build common ground. We thank the co-facilitators, Kenya and Luxembourg, for their substantial work on the Progress Declaration.

  8. We are encouraged by the growing application of route-based approaches and welcome IOM's engagement, including in the Eastern Corridor initiative. We invite IOM to further strengthen and drive the coordination and synergies with UNHCR and other partners in its capacity as Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration to ensure a system-wide approach, enhance complementarity, avoid duplication and maximise impact.

  9. We welcome IOM's engagement in the UN-80 Initiative and the Humanitarian Reset, including efforts to strengthen shared services, supply chain cooperation, data sharing and interoperability, including through the Humanitarian Data Collaborative, and anticipatory action through data, analytics and foresight. In line with the new EU Communication on Humanitarian Action, we underline the importance of upholding humanitarian principles and defending international humanitarian law through humanitarian diplomacy, enhanced protection, making the system more efficient and locally-led, and addressing fragility.

  10. Robust core functions are essential to accountability, effectiveness and trust. We welcome progress in strengthening oversight, including reducing investigation backlogs and translating findings into operational improvements. Internal audit, evaluation, risk management, ethics, and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment remain essential.

  11. We also commend IOM’s efforts to strengthen its data, analytical and foresight capacities, including through the Displacement Tracking Matrix, and expect even closer coordination with UN and other partners in data production and sharing.

  12. We remain committed to supporting IOM's effectiveness and resilience.

Thank you.