- IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrant workers.
- IOM was established in 1951 as Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help resettle people displaced by World War II.
- It was granted Permanent Observer status to UN General Assembly in 1992
- Cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.
- IOM works in four broad areas of migration management:
- Migration and development,
- Facilitating migration,
- Regulating migration and
- Forced migration.
- It has 166 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries.
- India is a member of IOM.