The International Organization for Migration as a Counterweight to States?

Abstract

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is commonly described as a functional intergovernmental organization (IGO) that performs tasks on behalf of Member States. However, recent changes within IOM suggest its transformation into a hybrid IGO that promotes widely shared norms and social goals. One facet of this transformation aims to constitute IOM as a counterweight to the Member States. Leveraging pressures to adapt to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Migration, IOM sought to increase its authority and autonomy by drafting the Strategic Vision. This article conducts a critical discourse analysis of the Strategic Vision to emphasize how it proclaimed the normative role of IOM; centralized its structure, funding, and organizational routines; and changed the expression of its expert and moral authority. The article demonstrates that functional IGO s do not refer to norms and social goals solely to secure legitimacy.