Overview

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) is an inter-agency forum for coordination, policy development and decision-making involving the key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners. Under the leadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the IASC develops humanitarian policies, agrees on a clear division of responsibility, identifies and addresses gaps in response, and advocates for effective application of humanitarian principles.

IOM's Role

A Standing Invitee of the IASC since 1991, IOM's status was converted to full membership following the entry into force of the "Agreement concerning the Relationship between the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration" in May 2016. As a key humanitarian actor, IOM is fully engaged in the IASC at all levels.

IOM works to ensure that the Organization's humanitarian policies are in line with those set by the IASC.

Through its participation in the IASC, IOM coordinates with the wider humanitarian system to strengthen the effectiveness of principled humanitarian response and identifies and analyzes new policy developments, opportunities, and challenges, notably in connection with:

• IOM's institutional humanitarian policy, the IOM Principles for Humanitarian Action (PHA);
• IOM's humanitarian protection role;
• Institutional Grand Bargain commitments;
• IOM's Internal Displacement Framework;
• IOM’s Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Framework; 
• IOM's Migration Crisis Operational Framework (MCOF) including its 2021 Addendum, which advances IOM’s humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN) approach, and the Progressive Resolution of Displacement Situations (PRDS) Framework, which is a tool for the Organization to operationalize the Nexus in protracted contexts, with a view to a shift from delivering aid to ending need, and in line with the humanitarian principles. 
• IOM's Localization Framework and Guidance Note for IOM's Humanitarian Response

IOM plays a substantial role in the Cluster Approach. At the global level, IOM leads the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster in Natural Disasters and participates in the Logistics, Health, Emergency Shelter, WASH and Protection Clusters, where it has been taking on an increasingly important role as partner, lead or co-lead, as well as the Cash Coordination Model.

In his capacity as IASC Champion on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) between 2011 and 2018, IOM Director General Swing has pushed for stronger PSEA policies and efforts within and between humanitarian response agencies. In May 2018, it was decided that the IASC Principals take a more prominent and substantive role in tackling PSEA and Sexual Harassment and Abuse (SHA) throughout the humanitarian system and that the role of IASC Champions for SEA and SHA should be taken on by other UN agencies on a rotational basis.

Ahead of the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in 2022, IOM facilitated the IASC Pledge on Migrants Affected by Crises, in which the IASC expresses its commitment to systematically consider migrants affected by crisis across IASC strategic priorities. The Pledge supports GCM objectives 2 (minimize adverse drivers), 7 (reduce vulnerabilities), 8 (save lives) and 10 (eradicate trafficking), thus advancing a holistic and nexus-oriented approach.

Contacts

For more information about the IASC contact DOE: [email protected].