World Migration Report Background Guide for Policy

The World Migration Report is the International Organization for Migration’s flagship publication, having been produced since 2000 every two years. While most of the previous editions were focused on a single theme (e.g. migrants and cities), since the 2018 edition, the World Migration Report has been transformed into the global reference report on migration. Of the around 200 IOM publications produced annually, the World Migration Report consistently rates as the highest visibility and used IOM publication worldwide; it has amassed broad appeal and garners keen interest, including from member states, media, migration academics, researchers and students, other international organizations, non-government organizations, civil society actors, private sector partners as well as individuals interested in international migration.

To improve the quality and utility of the report, IOM has engaged in a process of continuous improvement since mid-2016 by deploying a range of measures and approaches:

• Informal and formal reviews/evaluations both internal and external (e.g. 2017 MOPAN review and 2020 OIG Evaluation, including an IOM field survey);
• Developing and implementing a professional approach to collaboration and partnerships with leaders in the field of migration research, analysis and report-writing (e.g. gender/geographic diversity, partnership principles, clear production protocols, focus on migrants' voice, strong design);
• Extending language translations of the report to ensure all 6 UN language versions are produced, and outputs are available in official languages of developing countries (e.g. Portuguese, Swahili);
• Developing a much stronger digital presence so users are better able to access the report contents (e.g. report webpage, interactive platform, educators' toolkit, fact-checkers' toolkit);
• Entering relevant international awards to be assessed at the highest levels against comparable products (with very positive results, such as gold award in the 2021 International Annual Report Design Awards);
• Independent outreach to Member State users via the Graduate Institute to gain feedback on how the report is used and to inform this policy toolkit;
• Extending media outreach through global collaboration and coordination;
• Diversifying the donor base to include new philanthropic donors (i.e. Robert Bosch Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Gulbenkian Foundation). 

Feedback on the World Migration Report, its interactive platform and/or this policy toolkit are very welcome, and can be sent to research@iom.int.

FAQs on the World Migration Report answer questions on a wide range of issues, including purpose, focus, production/development, priority topics, data used, QA measures, funding, copyright, digital tools, languages, donations, etc.