Original Language
English
Number of Pages
46
Reference Number
PUB2021/190/R
Year of Publication
2021
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IOM Institutional Strategy on Legal Identity

IOM is committed to increasing its focus on legal identity as a core enabler of sustainable development, and safe and regular migration. IOM’s Institutional Strategy on Legal Identity will serve to guide the organization’s ongoing involvement to address the multiple mobility dimensions of legal identity, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

The Strategy aims to tackle several challenges related to people on the move and access to documentation, presenting an approach that will allow for legal identity to be addressed more consistently as part of existing and upcoming  IOM interventions. It serves as a road map to support Member States, while reinforcing IOM’s goal to provide a global platform for the exchange and promotion of good practices to advance legal identity systems, with a focus on the nexus between migration, displacement, the protection of migrants, and universal access to legal identity.

  • I . LIST OF ACRONYMS
  • II. FOREWORD
  • III . EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • 1. INTRODUCTION
  • 2. STRATEGY PILLARS AND OUTCOMES
    • 2.1 Supporting development of consular services to issue civil registration, citizenship certificates, ID and travel document
      • a. Strengthening civil registration services to issue proof of nationality and travel document at consular representations
      • b. Promoting bilateral (and regional) policies that are rights-based, including measures for updating vital events of relevance to the migrant in both host country and country of origin
      • c. Enhance consular services to support nationals abroad without documentary proof of legal identity
    • 2.2 Assisting migrants without legal identity documents
      • a. Assisting migrants to obtain paper-based or digital evidence of legal identity
      • b. Exploring possibilities and, as appropriate, supporting irregular migrants or migrants caught in crisis situations with recording their vital events when unable to access services directly
    • 2.3 Supporting national civil registration and identity management systems to facilitate regular migration and mobility
      • a. Strengthening national civil registration and identity management systems
      • b. Support strengthening of national identity card and travel document issuance processes
      • c. Supporting identity management systems and civil registration of migrants
    • 2.4 Provide thought leadership on the nexus between migration, displacement, and legal identity, including their impact on the protection of migrants
  • 3. STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
    • 3.1 Leverage and expand on existing IOM institutional and technical capacities
    • 3.2 Pursue and strengthen a “Whole of UN approach” in delivering a holistic and concerted support to strengthen inclusiv national legal identity systems that conform with international law and standards and that contribute to reducing statelessness
    • 3.3 Seek and strengthen partnership with global and regional development financial institutions, private sector, civil society, and local communities’ partners
  • 4. KEY PRINCIPLES
  • 5. IMPLEMENTATION SAFEGUARDS
  • ANNEX 1 - LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF LEGAL IDENTITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION LAW
  • ANNEX 2 - DEFINITIONS