The International Forum on Migration Statistics is a biannual forum that aims to mobilize expertise from a wide range of disciplines, such as statistics, economics, demography, sociology, geospatial science, and information technology, to improve the collection and analysis of migration data worldwide. The event bring together producers and users of migration statistics from national and international statistical offices, other government agencies, international organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

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UPCOMING EVENT: 

The third edition of the IFMS, co-organised by the OECD, IOM, UNDESA and UNDP, will be hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile from 24 to 26 January 2023 as a hybrid event.

-        Call for papers: https://input.un.org/EFM/se/3995D1A409102A72

-        Call for sessions: https://input.un.org/EFM/se/3995D1A461748C28

 

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Since the inaugural event launched at the OECD in Paris in 2018, the IFMS has become a renowned and regular forum that facilitates the exchange of information among relevant stakeholders, such as producers, analysts, researchers and users of migration statistics and promotes innovative approaches to filling data gaps in the measurement of migration and migration-related topics.

The 2020 edition, hosted by the Egyptian Government in Cairo under the auspices of the African Union (AU), gathered around 700 participants from 99 countries. Around six plenary and 50 parallel sessions were organised. During the four days meeting, participants noted the persisting data gaps on migration in a large number of countries as well as the lack of information on immigrant children. They also noted the need for digital platforms to share and compare existing but fragmented datasets at the national and infra-national levels. The need for sub-national data on migration was often mentioned, given that the impacts of migration as well as associated policies and competences are today highly localised. Several speakers highlighted that migration data are not just numbers and advocated for a better communication and narratives on migration issues based on robust numbers. Finally, the forum was an opportunity for informing the audience on multiple emerging international initiatives around migration as well as capacity building. Many participants also addressed the need for greater coherence and comprehensiveness in this regard to ensure an effective and sustainable approach to capacity building.