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Migration Is an Important Part of the Sustainable Development Goals
Imagine a world where no one suffers from extreme poverty and states and citizens act in a way that is beneficial to the environment, economy and people. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim for such a world. These are 17 goals, which the UN member states decided on at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York in 2015. The principle of the goals is that no one is left behind in development. They guide the promotion of sustainable development until 2030, and therefore the goals are also known as Agenda 2030.
The SDGs are universal, meaning they apply to all countries and to all of us. With its work, IOM aims to promote the realization of these goals. This article starts a series of blog posts discussing IOM's work and its link to the SDGs.
Migration Affects Sustainable Development and Vice Versa
Migration is a global phenomenon which affects everyone’s life. There were 272 million international migrants in 2019 (UNDESA).
Immigrants bring know-how, labor, investments and cultural diversity to their new communities. They also improve the lives of the communities in their countries of origin in the form of skills and money transfers, which promotes positive development in the country of origin as well. However, if migration is poorly managed, it can also have a negative impact on development; migrants can be put at risk and communities can suffer.
Migration contributes to sustainable development, and all the SDGs contain points related to migration. If the countries of the world want to achieve the goals related to the Agenda 2030, they must take into account the impact of migration at all levels of society.
IOM is committed to promoting humane and well-managed migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. The SDG 10.7 is the clearest goal related to migration: it enables people's safe, systematic and responsible migration and mobility through, for example, planned and well-managed migration policies. It is also the cornerstone of IOM's work.
How Does Migration Appear in the Sustainable Development Goals – Examples
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Migration plays an important role in eradicating poverty. For example, work-based immigration benefits the migrant themself, their family, the country of origin, as well as the country of arrival. The employee's income level rises and knowledge increases, thanks to which they can, for example, pay for better health services and education than before for themself or their family. A better economic situation can especially improve women's right to self-determination and social-economic status. The country of origin benefits from the employee's remittances, and the destination country gets relief from its shortage of workers, as well as more taxpayers, innovations and entrepreneurs.
IOM fights against poverty for example by providing humanitarian aid. When crises and natural disasters strike, IOM distributes water and commodities for people who have been forced to leave their homes. It also provides emergency shelters and health and psychosocial support, coordinates camps, promotes hygiene and arranges transportations. In addition, IOM does proactive work to increase community resilience in the event of disasters.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
The right for inclusive and equitable quality education belongs to everyone, including migrants. The society should advance migrants access to first, second and third level education. For example, international scholarships and supporting exchange studies contribute to the education of the population of developing countries. In addition, educated migrants can take their know-how to their country of origin.
IOM organizes training corresponding to migrants’ needs and situations, which promotes integration, reintegration, community stabilization and increases social cohesion. IOM Finland organizes cultural orientation for quota refugees selected for Finland. The orientation is organized already in the refugees’ country of first asylum before their departure for Finland. It provides information on the Finnish society and culture and teaches the basics of the Finnish language. In addition, information about the educational opportunities in the new home country is shared with the participants. Figuring out educational paths and own goals already before moving in helps quota refugees to integrate faster into their new home country.
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Many migrants, especially girls and women, have been forced to leave their homes due to violence against them. All forms of violence against migrants must be eradicated. The goal also includes fight against human trafficking. Girls and women are especially exposed to human trafficking related to sexual abuse.
IOM fights against human trafficking and violence against women and girls. In its work, IOM pays special attention to violence in crisis and disaster situations, because in those situations women and girls are in a particularly vulnerable position. IOM also measures the effectiveness of its actions to ensure the promotion of gender equality.
The MIDA FINNSOM project coordinated by IOM Finland strengthens the rights of girls and women in Somalia. The project's focus is on improving the country's maternal and reproductive health with the help of diaspora professionals' know-how.
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Migrants’ integration must be supported, and the discriminatory practices of society dismantled. The rights and needs of all migrants must be taken into account in actions aimed at reducing poverty at both local and national levels.
IOM offers the international community its expertise in migration issues with the aim of promoting planned and well-managed migration policies.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Climate change is already forcing many people to leave their homes due to reduced chances to make a living. As a result of climate change, natural disasters, such as floods and storms, as well as desertification, will increase. Migrants live more often than others in remote places, on unmaintained land, which have a risk of landslides or floods. If we don't slow down climate change and mitigate its effects, more and more people will have to leave their homes.
IOM supports local communities around the world in protecting themselves from and adapting to the effects of climate change. For example, more sustainable construction and diversification of livelihoods help prepare for climate change.
The Sustainable Development Goals
-
They are 17 universal goals.
-
Each goal contains targets that specify and are part of the main goal.
-
The leaders of countries decided on the goals at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York in 2015.
-
The aim of the goals is to make the world a better place for all of us.
More Information on the SDGs
-
Migration and the 2030 Agenda: A Guide for Practitioners (download for free)
The writer manages the communications of IOM Finland.
The views expressed by the authors in IOM Finland's blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the International Organization for Migration.
Related Blogs
Imagine a world where no one suffers from extreme poverty and states and citizens act in a way that is beneficial to the environment, economy and people. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim for such a world. These are 17 goals, which the UN member states decided on at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York in 2015. The principle of the goals is that no one is left behind in development. They guide the promotion of sustainable development until 2030, and therefore the goals are also known as Agenda 2030.
The SDGs are universal, meaning they apply to all countries and to all of us. With its work, IOM aims to promote the realization of these goals. This article starts a series of blog posts discussing IOM's work and its link to the SDGs.
Migration Affects Sustainable Development and Vice Versa
Migration is a global phenomenon which affects everyone’s life. There were 272 million international migrants in 2019 (UNDESA).
Immigrants bring know-how, labor, investments and cultural diversity to their new communities. They also improve the lives of the communities in their countries of origin in the form of skills and money transfers, which promotes positive development in the country of origin as well. However, if migration is poorly managed, it can also have a negative impact on development; migrants can be put at risk and communities can suffer.
Migration contributes to sustainable development, and all the SDGs contain points related to migration. If the countries of the world want to achieve the goals related to the Agenda 2030, they must take into account the impact of migration at all levels of society.
IOM is committed to promoting humane and well-managed migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. The SDG 10.7 is the clearest goal related to migration: it enables people's safe, systematic and responsible migration and mobility through, for example, planned and well-managed migration policies. It is also the cornerstone of IOM's work.
How Does Migration Appear in the Sustainable Development Goals – Examples
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Migration plays an important role in eradicating poverty. For example, work-based immigration benefits the migrant themself, their family, the country of origin, as well as the country of arrival. The employee's income level rises and knowledge increases, thanks to which they can, for example, pay for better health services and education than before for themself or their family. A better economic situation can especially improve women's right to self-determination and social-economic status. The country of origin benefits from the employee's remittances, and the destination country gets relief from its shortage of workers, as well as more taxpayers, innovations and entrepreneurs.
IOM fights against poverty for example by providing humanitarian aid. When crises and natural disasters strike, IOM distributes water and commodities for people who have been forced to leave their homes. It also provides emergency shelters and health and psychosocial support, coordinates camps, promotes hygiene and arranges transportations. In addition, IOM does proactive work to increase community resilience in the event of disasters.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
The right for inclusive and equitable quality education belongs to everyone, including migrants. The society should advance migrants access to first, second and third level education. For example, international scholarships and supporting exchange studies contribute to the education of the population of developing countries. In addition, educated migrants can take their know-how to their country of origin.
IOM organizes training corresponding to migrants’ needs and situations, which promotes integration, reintegration, community stabilization and increases social cohesion. IOM Finland organizes cultural orientation for quota refugees selected for Finland. The orientation is organized already in the refugees’ country of first asylum before their departure for Finland. It provides information on the Finnish society and culture and teaches the basics of the Finnish language. In addition, information about the educational opportunities in the new home country is shared with the participants. Figuring out educational paths and own goals already before moving in helps quota refugees to integrate faster into their new home country.
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Many migrants, especially girls and women, have been forced to leave their homes due to violence against them. All forms of violence against migrants must be eradicated. The goal also includes fight against human trafficking. Girls and women are especially exposed to human trafficking related to sexual abuse.
IOM fights against human trafficking and violence against women and girls. In its work, IOM pays special attention to violence in crisis and disaster situations, because in those situations women and girls are in a particularly vulnerable position. IOM also measures the effectiveness of its actions to ensure the promotion of gender equality.
The MIDA FINNSOM project coordinated by IOM Finland strengthens the rights of girls and women in Somalia. The project's focus is on improving the country's maternal and reproductive health with the help of diaspora professionals' know-how.
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Migrants’ integration must be supported, and the discriminatory practices of society dismantled. The rights and needs of all migrants must be taken into account in actions aimed at reducing poverty at both local and national levels.
IOM offers the international community its expertise in migration issues with the aim of promoting planned and well-managed migration policies.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Climate change is already forcing many people to leave their homes due to reduced chances to make a living. As a result of climate change, natural disasters, such as floods and storms, as well as desertification, will increase. Migrants live more often than others in remote places, on unmaintained land, which have a risk of landslides or floods. If we don't slow down climate change and mitigate its effects, more and more people will have to leave their homes.
IOM supports local communities around the world in protecting themselves from and adapting to the effects of climate change. For example, more sustainable construction and diversification of livelihoods help prepare for climate change.
The Sustainable Development Goals
-
They are 17 universal goals.
-
Each goal contains targets that specify and are part of the main goal.
-
The leaders of countries decided on the goals at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York in 2015.
-
The aim of the goals is to make the world a better place for all of us.
More Information on the SDGs
-
Migration and the 2030 Agenda: A Guide for Practitioners (download for free)
The writer manages the communications of IOM Finland.
The views expressed by the authors in IOM Finland's blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the International Organization for Migration.