IOM processes the personal data of millions of beneficiaries worldwide in order to fulfil its mandate. The protection of these data contributes to the effective implementation of our projects while ensuring the privacy and safety of beneficiaries.
We attach significant importance to data protection in respecting the privacy of all individuals it assists through its projects and activities. The protection of personal data is paramount in order to:
- Respect the right to privacy, human dignity and well-being of migrants.
- Ensure their safety and non-discrimination.
- Facilitate migration movements and understand migration challenges.
IOM was one of the first international organizations to develop its own internal data protection policy: the IOM Data Protection Principles were adopted in 2009 and the IOM Data Protection Manual was published in 2010.
The Office of Legal Affairs of IOM is the focal point for data protection issues and provides advice to ensure that personal data are processed in accordance with our Data Protection Principles.