On this year’s UN Day, observed annually on 24 October, we convened with representatives from UN agencies, governments, civil society and private sector at the UN City Copenhagen in the spirit of multilateralism to reflect on our shared responsibilities and aspirations for the future, and the profound impact the United Nations has had on the world – advancing peace, security, and sustainable development for all.

To unpack the Pact for the Future during the morning session, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Denmark, together with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), co-hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion on the essential role of data-driven approaches to migration and displacement. 

Co-presented by Barbara Rijsk, IOM’s Coordinator for the Nordic Countries and Chief of Mission of IOM Denmark, and Volker Schimmel, UNHCR’s Head of Data Global Service, the panel discussion ‘Supporting People on the Move’ delved into the global key trends on migration, internal displacement and refugees, based on data from IOM’s World Migration Report and UNHCR’s Global Report. 

This inter-agency discussion is timely, as in recent years asylum and migration have been at the forefront of discussions at the global level, priorities on political parties’ agendas and during national elections, especially in the global North. "The second objective of our migration data strategy is to develop the capacity and work with countries on data collection, analysis and dissemination. Often, there is a lot of data available, but it's not really arriving at the policy makers," said Barbara Rijks, IOM Denmark's Chief of Mission and Sub-regional Coordinator for the Nordic Countries. 

The panellists set out in clear and accurate terms the key migration and asylum governance issues so that the audience could better understand the facts, dispel myths and understand how UNHCR and IOM, as the two key United Nations agencies supporting people on the move, use evidence-based data, research and analysis to inform policies and programmes. "You can see migration remittances have increased, even surpassing the ODA (Official Development Assistance) as well as foreign direct investment. Yet, the poor are trapped, they cannot move, while those with resources can. It's important to challenge some of these misperceptions," observed Barbara Rijks. 

To support a change-driven agenda that rebuilds trust and strengthens international cooperation in tackling present and future challenges, IOM's Migration Data Strategy is key to preparing for the future, building capacity, and leveraging technology and data to anticipate risks, seize opportunities, act early, and manage uncertainty. 

On the 79th anniversary of the UN Charter, IOM, UNHCR and other partners have been, and continue to, advocate for the inclusion of relevant targets on migration and asylum in the SDGs, and to ensure progress can be measures.