The UN marks International Migrants Day on Friday, highlighting their essential contribution to societies everywhere, and underlining migrants' central role in recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Climate catastrophes, a global pandemic, automation of jobs – the interconnected crises unleashing havoc on our world seem to have slipped out of our control and taken a life of their own. But a new report by the UN Economist Network stresses that the five greatest challenges facing humanity are all human-made and can be shaped by our policies. We talk to UN Chief Economist Elliott Harris who has led this analysis by economists in dozens of UN entities.

With the number of under-five deaths at an all-time recorded low of 5.2 million in 2019, disruptions in child and maternal health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic are putting millions of additional lives at stake. 

Migrants and migration can be part of the solution in a post-COVID society, but for that to happen, inclusion must be a top priority.

In an online webinar chaired by the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) António Vitorino, members of the UN Network on Migration discussed the repercussions of the pandemic for people on the move as COVID-19 response and recovery measures are drawn up and implemented.

Taking the UN Secretary-General’s recent policy brief on

COVID-19 and its impacts have had far-reaching consequences and exacerbated inequalities.  For the 800 million people reliant on migrant family members sending money home – money that many can no longer receive – COVID-19 is more than a deadly virus; it constitutes a devastating and immediate blow to their development, imperiling their access to health, education, housing and nutrition.

As we mark the International Day of Family Remittances, the UN Network on Migration calls on public authorities, service providers, the international community and stakeholders to together address the

The UN Secretary-General has expressed hope that the COVID-19 crisis will lead to a rethinking of how the world supports refugees, migrants and internally displaced people.

António Guterres on Wednesday launched the latest UN policy briefing on the pandemic, which reminds countries of their obligation to protect people on the move, who number more than 70 million globally, a

Migration has major impacts on both the people and the places involved in it. When supported by appropriate policies, migration can contribute to inclusive and sustainable development in both origin and destination countries, while also benefitting migrants and their families.



Reliable data on migrants and migration are crucial for assessing current and future trends, identifying policy priorities, and making informed decisions.

December is a time to recall that all migrants—no matter their immigration status—are entitled to the same basic human rights as everyone else. Migrants form a vital and integral part of our societies and contribute much to sustainable development. As revealed by UN DESA’s latest revision of estimates of the International Migrant Stock, the number of international migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million in 2019, an increase of 51 million since 2010.