More innovative investment in human mobility is needed to spur growth and help close the US$4 trillion annual development financing gap, according to the UN’s migration agency IOM.

Speaking at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development IOM Director General Amy Pope said sustainable and well-managed migration could be a driver of economic growth.

“Migrants contribute at every level of society. They build economies, connect communities, and strengthen resilience in the face of multiplying crises,” Ms Pope said.

“Migration, however, remains under prioritised in development planning and financing. When we invest in safe, orderly and regular migration, it becomes a central part of how we build stronger, more connected societies,” she said.

The conference heard that there was a need to move beyond reactive responses and focus on long-term, strategic planning.

IOM called for migration to be recognised as a driver of economic opportunity and social cohesion when supported with dignity and foresight. It urged governments and development banks to reflect this in how they plan and fund development efforts.

This included building financing systems that make migration safer and more predictable, integrating displacement into national development planning, reducing the cost of remittances, expanding digital access, and creating conditions for diaspora investment to flourish.

It also required the use of quality data to identify who is displaced, what their needs are, and which solutions deliver the greatest impact, IOM said in a communique at the conference.

It said one such mechanism is the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund, a pooled financing instrument that supports inclusive, rights-based migration governance across countries of origin, transit, and destination.

Since its launch, the Fund has supported 27 joint programs. IOM is urging partners to step up support and raise its capitalisation to US$150 million by 2026.

A key outcome of the Conference was the ‘Compromiso de Sevilla’, a political commitment to reshape development financing for greater inclusion, sustainability, and impact.

As a member of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development,

IOM, a member of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Financing for Development, said migration, remittances, diaspora investments, and displacement financing could bridge development gaps and ensure support reaches those most in need.