International organisation for Migration Director General Amy Pope was speaking as world leaders convene in New York for the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. 

“No country can manage migration alone. Stronger international cooperation is essential to manage migration, transforming it from a divisive issue into a shared public good that benefits people and societies,” Ms Pope said.

“Now more than ever, the multilateral system must deliver practical and principled responses that put people first, protect their rights, and recognize both the challenges and possibilities of human mobility,” she said.

This week, Heads of State and Government will review progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, advancing UN reform and renewing commitments to building trusted multilateral systems, while addressing urgent global challenges where migration remains a priority.

Migration is a defining feature of this century, central to development, security, and human dignity. Yet it remains too often sidelined in global governance debates. Today’s record level of displacement and intensifying mobility challenges driven by conflicts, disasters, and economic instability reinforce the need for coordinated responses and anticipatory actions, IOM said in a statement.

IOM is advocating for people-centred, member state-led, and community-driven solutions that expand safe, regular, and orderly migration pathways, address displacement and labour needs, support returnees to rebuild their lives, and strengthen resilience.

Ms Pope said that IOM was strengthening its collaboration with the private sector.

“By engaging businesses as partners in building solutions and making innovation work for people on the move, IOM is paving the way for partnerships that improve protections for migrants, address labour shortages, bring communities together, and generate sustainable funding for impact at both global and local levels,” she said.

Earlier this year, Ms Pope unveiled a bold plan to redesign the global migration system to benefit would be migrants as well as economies and nations with skill shortages.

“While every country has the right to manage its own borders and decide who can remain in the country lawfully, governments must invest in an approach that links immigration trends with Labor-market needs and development gaps,” Ms Pope said.

Building a system that takes advantage of the global marketplace and empowers people to connect with opportunities for security and prosperity, has the potential to be the solution to migration issues, she said.

“And addressing the issues around migration will help address the world’s most persistent development and humanitarian challenges, thus taking the pressure of the migrants themselves,” Ms Pope said.