19 November 2025

Ten years after more than 100 States endorsed the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda, the promise of regional collaboration has moved decisively from concept to practice. While global frameworks set the direction, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, and, at the same time, the Warsaw International Mechanism’s Task Force on Displacement became operational, regional coalitions have generated political momentum, clarified responsibilities and created replicable pathways to translate commitments into national action. This blog post takes stock of selected advances in Africa, the Americas and the Pacific – three regions in which the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has worked with States, the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) and others on political frameworks and other commitments to avert, minimize and address displacement, protect people on the move, and enable dignified mobility choices.

From sub-regional to continental: The championing of the Kampala Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC)

In 2022, governments in the East and Horn of Africa became global and regional trailblazers, adopting the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC), addressing the intersection of migration, environment and climate change. It committed States to strengthen data, legislation and coordination, and to embed human mobility into adaptation and development planning.

Building on that foundation, the Declaration was expanded at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi in September 2023 as KDMECC Africa, with 33 African Union Member States endorsing the continental approach. Governments and regional bodies have since moved into a follow-up phase through regional expert working groups, national dialogues and developing action plans such as in Burundi, Djibouti and Rwanda, supported by IOM, partners and youth and civil society representatives.

Momentum continued at the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa in September 2025, where leaders adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change. The Declaration positions Africa as a driver of solutions and explicitly recognizes climate-related mobility as integral to resilience, adaptation and just transitions – setting a strong political basis ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP) 30 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Belem, Brazil in November 2025.

In parallel, the African Union Commission, working with IOM, is advancing continental policy work on migration and climate change. The KDMECC forms the cornerstone of this process. Together, KDMECC and the recently-drafted Addis Ababa Declaration demonstrate African leadership in promoting the contribution of human mobility to development in the context of climate and environmental change.

The Pacific: Cross-regional collective stewardship

The Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility (PRFCM), endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders in 2023, represents a milestone in cooperative regional governance. Developed under the leadership of the PIF Member States – especially Fiji and Tuvalu – and through extensive consultation among Pacific governments, communities and partners – including the IOM-led Pacific Climate Change Migration and Human Security (PCCMHS) programme  – the PRFCM sets out shared priorities to support people to remain in place, move safely where desired, and maintain cultural identity and sovereignty, even if relocation becomes necessary.

The PRFCM’s significance lies in its broad-based endorsement: it was supported by all PIF Member States, including Pacific Small Island Developing States and the PIF’s two developed country members, Australia and New Zealand. This collective approach reflects the spirit of the Nansen Initiative, which was underscored in its first-ever regional consultation in 2013 in the Cook Islands: regional ownership, practical cooperation and respect for dignity and rights.

The PDD, initiated to help support the implementation of the Nansen Initiative’s Protection Agenda, has also provided important impetus in the region, together with partners including IOM. It played an instrumental role in the IOM-led Pacific Response to Disaster Displacement project (from 2019–22), PCCMHS programme and the PRFCM process.

Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have established national planned relocation frameworks and standard operating procedures. Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are exploring pathways that combine in-country resilience with labour mobility arrangements abroad. The Regional Framework Implementation Plan (2025–30), being coordinated by the PIF Secretariat with technical support from the regional PCCMHS programme and partners, emphasizes finance access, knowledge exchange and whole-of-government coordination – laying a foundation for sustained, rights-based action across the region.

Rights leverage in the Americas

Across the Americas, climate mobility policy approaches have evolved through a strong human rights lens grounded in the region’s legal and institutional architecture. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Resolution 2/24 on Human Mobility and Climate Change (2024) and the Inter-American Court’s Advisory Opinion AO-32/2025 reaffirm States’ obligations to prevent displacement and protect people affected by climate impacts and environmental degradation.

These legal developments are complemented by regional policy frameworks. The Regional Conference on Migration updated its protection guidelines in 2024 to address climate- and disaster-related displacement, while the South American Conference on Migration published its own guidelines in 2018 and the Southern Common Market (abbreviated MERCOSUR in Spanish) has strengthened standards and cooperation on mobility and protection.

At the operational level, disaster risk management entities such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Central American Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters have integrated mobility into preparedness, evacuation and shelter planning. The PDD has also supported the Chile Declaration and Plan of Action for 2024–34 to integrate disaster displacement within its scope.

The ongoing and increased integration of human mobility in Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans in Latin America and the Caribbean offers a further opportunity to address the protection needs of people displaced across borders in the context of climate change, prevent displacement and address the loss and damage implications of climate mobility.

Implementation challenges

Despite significant progress, important challenges remain, notably when bridging the gap from policy design to concrete action. Implementation in many settings is conditioned by governance dynamics, varying levels of digital maturity and inclusivity of non-government actors, budget availability and prioritization, and gaps in policy-relevant data, technical expertise in migrant and host populations and institutional systems. These structural realities interact with a shifting international landscape: the Humanitarian Reset and evolving financing environment are pushing for more anticipatory, locally-driven approaches.

Translating regional commitments into national law and practice is rarely straightforward, and political sensitivities around climate-related mobility demand tact and sustained dialogue. While the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement is guiding how the international system supports durable solutions for internal displacement, a recent evaluation of the Grand Bargain has highlighted ongoing challenges in coherence, localization and bridging humanitarian and development approaches. Across all regions, sustained partnerships, investment in systems and skills, and a clear focus on protection and dignity will determine whether the gains of the past decade translate into sustained outcomes for people most affected by, and vulnerable to, disasters and climate change.

Policy recommendations — ten years on

1. Keep regional cooperation at the centre: The most significant advances since 2015 have come where States have worked together – through frameworks such as the KDMECC in Africa, the PRFCM in the Pacific, the Eastern Caribbean Ministerial Declaration and the Regional Consultative Processes in the Americas. Continued investment in these regional mechanisms helps maintain trust and practical exchange even when global negotiations stall.
2. Focus on inclusive implementation: The coming decade should be about turning existing commitments into co-owned results – translating regional declarations and strategies into national legislation, budgets and inclusive coordination systems that tangibly reduce displacement risk and strengthen protection. Engaging and empowering youth, indigenous populations and local communities will be key.
3. Align protection and adaptation agendas: Efforts to reduce displacement risk and to support people who move in the context of climate change should be seen as part of broader resilience and adaptation strategies. Integrating mobility considerations into National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0 can help ensure that communities have the resources and options they need before, during and after climate events, while also complementing ongoing international discussions on Loss and Damage and other support mechanisms.
4. Uphold rights and dignity in practice: Whether people stay, move or relocate, responses must be people-centered and rights-based – grounded in participation, inclusion and respect for cultural identity. Recent developments in human rights law, including the advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, provide important guidance for integrating protection principles into law, policy and practice.
5. Invest in knowledge that informs decisions: Sound policies depend on credible, accessible data. Strengthening evidence on the links between climate change, disaster risk and mobility – especially at the local level – helps governments and communities plan ahead, monitor progress and tailor responses to evolving realities.
6. Sustain partnerships and grow financial inclusion: In the context of UN80 reforms, the humanitarian reset as well as major shifts in the financing environment, and given the scale of the issue, no single actor can address climate-related mobility alone. Continued cooperation among States, regional organizations, civil society and international partners such as the PDD, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and IOM are essential to keep protection and solutions at the heart of climate action.

Conclusion

A decade after the Protection Agenda’s endorsement, the landscape of policy and practice on disaster displacement and climate mobility has advanced significantly. Regional frameworks have given governments platforms to exchange experiences, shape norms and coordinate action. National laws and plans increasingly reflect the interconnectedness of climate change, human mobility and protection. Communities, in turn, are gaining tools and partnerships targeted at enhancing their security and choice.

The next 10 years will test whether these frameworks can deliver sustained results on the ground. Success will depend on translating commitments into practice – anchored in protection, informed by evidence and supported by predictable finance.

As displacement and mobility pressures continue, regional cooperation and shared responsibility will remain vital. Guided by the principles of the Nansen Initiative and the spirit of the Protection Agenda, IOM will continue working with the PDD, UNHCR and other partners to ensure that people at risk of climate-related displacement are protected and empowered.

Susanne Melde is Global Thematic Specialist Climate Action, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Global Office, Brussels; Sabira Coelho is Regional Thematic Specialist Climate Action, IOM Regional Office, Nairobi; Lisa Lim Ah Ken is Senior Climate Action Specialist, IOM Special Liaison Office, Addis Ababa; Chris Richter is Regional Thematic Specialist Climate Action, IOM Regional Office, Bangkok; Pablo Escribano Miralles is Regional Thematic Specialist Climate Action, IOM Regional Office, Panama; and Nicholas Bishop is Head, Climate Resilience and Human Security, IOM.