The Migrant Protection Platform is a public knowledge management tool designed to cater to the diverse needs of migrant protection policy makers and practitioners. As a centralized hub, the Platform facilitates connections among professionals in the subject, while offering an array of features such as: access to hundreds of resources and tools that act as an enhanced migrant protection knowledge base; a space to engage in online dialogues and an established community of stakeholders to share good practices and lessons learned, but also to promote partnerships and joint actions.
By following a harmonization process, the Platform integrates, in one single digital space, a set of existing public IOM portals, among others the Counter-Trafficking in Emergency Platform and Yenna.
Structure
The Platform is available in English, French and Spanish promoting exchanges and connections across regions. Thanks to the dedicated focus on digital accessibility, the Platform is built to allow an inclusive navigation to users with visual impairments.
Building on the experience, the architecture as well as the exchanges developed by the Return and Reintegration Platform during the period 2019-2022, the Platform is structured around three key features:
- Community: A community of practice for policy makers and practitioners allowing for peer-to-peer discussions, accessible to registered members.
- Learning: A space to promote knowledge sharing and learning through its dedicated migrant protection webinars, proposed courses and training material.
- Resources: A repository providing access to hundreds of publications from IOM as well as published by other entities, combined with a space to access the latest data on migrant protection.
Despite the vast knowledge base, each feature is built to offer an accessible navigation through an integrated filtering system. This allows practitioners and policy makers to easily select and access the resources of the preferred specialized protection area through user-friendly paths.
To complement this structure, the Platform’s MEDIA section offers a collection of different audio-visual materials (videos, podcasts, photos) portraying voices of migrants, their families and communities, partners, as well as other stakeholders across different contexts and regions.
Rationale
IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental partners. As per the IOM’s Approach to Protection, IOM delivers on its protection commitments through protection mainstreaming and specialized protection programming.
In addition to mainstreaming protection across all its interventions and policies, IOM has specialized protection programming areas which are designed to address specific protection concerns, they include counter-trafficking; combatting gender-based violence; child protection; prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse; disability inclusion; return, readmission and reintegration; among others.
By implementing the above specialized protection programmes, IOM also plays a leading role as convener and facilitator of dialogue among various stakeholders and partners, including IOM Member States, UN agencies and International Organizations, civil society organizations, academia, think tanks and the private sector. By doing so, IOM offers counterparts relevant spaces for knowledge sharing and dialogue on issues related to migrant protection and its specialized programming.
Disclaimer
The Platform is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the COMPASS programme Phase II. It expands on the knowledge base of the Return and Reintegration Platform (RRP), key feature of the EU-IOM Knowledge Management Hub implemented from 2017 until 2022 as part of the “Pilot Action on Voluntary Return and Sustainable, Community-Based Reintegration” project funded by the European Union.
The expanded scope of the Platform was possible thanks to the IOM MIRAC-funded project “Developing an Institutional Approach to Protection (DIAP II)” and the Swedish Ministry of Justice-funded project “From Policy to Practice: Operationalizing a Rights-based Approach to Return and Reintegration”.
The resources made available in the RRP constitute the knowledge on Return and Reintegration that is now available in the Platform.
The knowledge on Counter Trafficking in Emergencies available in this portal has been captured from IOM’s US-funded Counter Trafficking in Emergencies digital space, now integrated into this Platform.
The knowledge on Community Engagement available in this portal has been extracted from IOM’s Yenna Platform funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the COMPASS programme and now integrated into this Platform.