UN Migration Agency Demands Rights Focus in Climate Talks

The global climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it’s a present danger driving mass displacement. On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued a powerful call to action.

The UN agency urged world leaders to prioritize the rights and dignity of those on the frontlines of climate change a group that includes migrants, displaced persons, Indigenous Peoples, and vulnerable local communities.

The Crisis of Disappearing Homes

Floods, severe storms, heatwaves, and relentless droughts now force millions of people from their homes annually. While most remain internally displaced, the experts warn that a far worse future is approaching.

Entire nations face the risk of disappearing beneath rising seas or becoming completely uninhabitable due to prolonged drought.

At the major climate conference, COP30, in Belém, Brazil, the IOM is pushing negotiators to integrate climate mobility as a central plank of adaptation planning.

The Right to Return Home

Ugochi Daniels, the Deputy Director General of the IOM, stressed the importance of supporting communities where they are. She stated that building early warning systems, resilience services, and livelihood support in high-risk zones is “vital to support the right to stay.”

Daniels highlighted a painful irony faced by the displaced. When asked about solutions, many simply say “it’s about being able to go home.”

However, their homes and livelihoods have been irreversibly damaged by climate change. Therefore, the focus must shift toward rebuilding their capacity to endure in those impacted areas.

The Push for Real Finance

Daniels believes COP30 must become a major turning point, particularly concerning national adaptation plans and the establishment of reliable funding for loss and damage.

She stressed that talk is no longer enough: “There’s a lot that has been said about climate finance and this finance getting to local communities, Indigenous people, and migrants.” She added, “But we want to go beyond saying it. We want to go beyond recognizing it has to be implementing.”

The IOM official emphasized that climate policies “need to have human mobility front and centre.” She views COP30 as a “great opportunity” to translate these critical humanitarian issues into practical negotiations and enforceable outcomes.

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