Human Mobility in a Changing Climate at the International Migration Review Forum 2026
20 April 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – Are you attending the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5–8 May 2026? If you are interested in how human mobility, including migration, displacement, and planned relocation, is being addressed in the context of disasters and climate change, this page can serve as your resource hub. We will update it regularly with new information, resources, and event details as they become available.
Featured Side Event
The PDD Secretariat is co-organizing an in-person high-level side event alongside several key partners:
Title: Supporting Resilience and Facilitating Safe and Regular Migration Pathways in a Changing Climate: Lessons Learned from GCM Implementation
Date: Friday, 8 May 2026
Time: 1:15 – 2:30 pm (EDT)
Flyer: click here to download the flyer
Location: UN Secretariat Building, Conference Room B
Registration: use this form to register
Co-organizers: Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD); Beyond Climate Collaborative (BCC); Climate Migration and Displacement Platform (CMDP); International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); International Organization for Migration (IOM); Refugees International (RI); and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
What to Expect at the IMRF?
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was adopted by States in 2018 to establish a cooperative framework for migration governance. This framework explicitly recognizes the complex challenges of displacement and migration related to disasters, environmental degradation, and climate change, particularly within Objective 2 (addressing drivers) and Objective 5 (enhancing regular pathways).
In May 2026, nearly eight years after the GCM’s adoption, the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) will bring together governments and stakeholders to discuss implementation successes and challenges. The Forum is an important opportunity to reaffirm global commitments to addressing human mobility challenges in the context of disasters, the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation in line with international standards and at different levels of implementation (sub-national, national, regional and global).
Related Side Events
Please find below a non-exhaustive list of planned IMRF side events focused on human mobility in the context of disasters, climate change, and environmental degradation. We aim to keep this list as comprehensive as possible and will continue to update it as new information becomes available. If you have a relevant event to add or updated information to share, please contact us at info@disasterdisplacement.org.
Header photo: UN Migration Network
| Date & time | Title / Theme | Organizer(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 April 2026, 8:30 EST | 14:30 CEST | 18:00 IST | From Risk to Resilience: Climate Mobility, Food Security and Resilient Rural Futures | Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | Online: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-virtual-side-events |
| 29 April 2026, 9am-10:30 EDT | Making Migrants Count: A Cross-Regional Dialogue on Migration Data for GCM Implementation | International Organization for Migration (IOM) | Online: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-virtual-side-events |
| 29 April 2026, 10:00 EDT / 16:00 CET | Local governments and communities working together in high-mobility contexts: Lessons from Community-Based Planning in Colombia | International Organization for Migration (IOM), The Republic of Colombia | Online: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-virtual-side-events |
| 30 April 2026, 2:00–3:00 PM EDT/18:00–19:00 UTC | Climate Mobility and the IMRF: Understanding the Forum and Shaping Outcomes | Beyond Climate Collaborative (BCC), Refugees International; Civil Society Action Committee (CSAC); Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) | Online: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-virtual-side-events |
| 30 April 2026. 11.00 - 12.30 New York/EDT, 15.00 - 16.30 Dakar/UTC | Bridging the Legal Gap: Access to Justice for Migrants in West and Central Africa –Migrant Workers, Detainees, and “Climate Migrants” | Network of Legal Experts on Migration for West and Central Africa (NoLEM), International Organization for Migration | Online: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-virtual-side-events |
| 4 May 2026, 1:15pm - 2:30pm EDT | Climate Mobility: Insights and Conclusions of the Regional Dialogue within the Framework of the Regional Conference on Migration | Ayuda en Acción; Kingdom of Spain; Republic of Guatemala; Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) Executive Secretariat; Regional Network of Civil Organizations for Migration (RROCM) | UN Secretariat Building, Conference Room 9 More information: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-person-side-events |
| 8 May 2026, 1:15pm-2.30 pm (EDT) | Supporting Resilience and Facilitating Safe and Regular Migration Pathways in a Changing Climate: Lessons Learned from GCM Implementation | Beyond Climate Collaborative (BCC); Climate Migration and Displacement Platform (CMDP), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); International Organization for Migration (IOM); Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD); Refugees International (RI); Republic of Chile; Republic of Costa Rica; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) | UN Secretariat Building, Conference Room B: More information: https://migrationnetwork.un.org/imrf-2026-calendar-person-side-events |
