Press Release

IOM Deputy Director General leads Conversation on Managing Migration for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean

25 July 2023

Caption: Join the conversation! This Wednesday📅, DDG @daniels_ugochi will chat with regional & international personalities, and have Q&A with a live virtual audience!

Photo: © IOM Caribbean via X (formerly Twitter)

Tuesday 25 July 2023 - “How can well-managed human mobility (described under SDG target 10.7) accelerate progress towards the other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Caribbean?” This will be the over-arching theme of the first of a series of virtual conversations taking place on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at 11am Eastern Caribbean Time.

The first episode of “Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean” will feature IOM Deputy Director General of Operations, Ugochi Daniels, engaging with three prominent guests representing the Migration Policy Institute, UN Development Coordination Office, and the University of the West Indies, discussing the Current Status and Trends of Migration in the Caribbean. The virtual webinar will be livestreamed on IOM Caribbean social media, or for those who want to engage with questions or comments, on Zoom at this link https://bit.ly/3Q1b4xy .

Ugochi Daniels is a senior manager in the global structure, in charge of the Operations of IOM-UN Migration at the global level. She will be joined by three panelists: Dr. Natasha Kay Mortley, Research Fellow at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies - Regional Coordinating Office at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica; Mr. Andrew Selee (PhD), President of the Migration Policy Institute since 2017 and previous Executive Vice President of the Woodrow Wilson Center; and Yolanda Durant-McKlmon, Senior Regional Coordination Officer and acting interim Team Leader, UN Development Coordination Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.  

The panelists will be expected to bring diverse perspectives to the conversation, and the audience is asked to be free to share any comments or questions to be considered for discussion.

This virtual event is the first public engagement initiative of the IOM Caribbean office under its new Caribbean strategy (2023-2026). IOM is at a pivotal point in its relationship with the Caribbean, and for the first time the Organization has developed a specific strategy to guide its work in the region until 2026, built on the principles of good migration governance promoted though policy, partnerships, and evidence-based communication.

Recognizing the significance of the celebration of the 50th anniversary the Caribbean Community CARICOM in July 2023, and the announcement of the intended implementation of full freedom of movement within the CARICOM region by March 2024, IOM Caribbean will use these conversations to create a forum for influential individuals and representatives of vulnerable groups to engage in discussions on a range of issues related to the phenomenon of migration in the Caribbean context.

IOM Caribbean plans to continue the Conversations, with the second episode of this virtual series to engage the Private Sector in "Conversations on Migration in the Caribbean" in October 2023. For more information, contact Communications Officer, IOM Caribbean at malleyne@iom.int or follow IOM Caribbean on Facebook and Twitter for updated information.