How can South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) help countries address the growing challenges of climate mobility while ensuring a just transition?
This question was at the heart of the latest online session of the Labour Migration Academy, held on July 9 and organized by the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO). Titled “Climate mobility and the Just Transition: a perspective from the Global South,” the session explored how climate change is reshaping labor mobility and what cooperative approaches are needed to ensure that climate action creates opportunities rather than deepening inequalities.
Moderated by Michela Albertazzi of the ITCILO Labour Migration Cluster, the discussion featured Paul Tacon (ILO MIGRANT Department), Mette Lund (ILO Just Transition Priority Action Programme), Anita Amorim and Anna Tosetto (ILO PARTNERSHIPS Department).
Across the Global South, mobility is becoming both a challenge and an adaptation strategy. Panelists and participants highlighted that migration linked to climate impacts is not limited to displacement after disasters. It also includes proactive labour migration, where individuals and families seek employment opportunities to diversify income, strengthen resilience and support adaptation in their communities of origin through remittances and skills.
Throughout the discussion, speakers stressed that decent work must remain at the heart of climate mobility governance. Labour migration can contribute to resilient and inclusive transitions only when it is safe, regular, rights-based and supported by fair recruitment, labour protection and social dialogue.
A central theme of the session was the importance of anticipating labour market transformations rather than reacting to crises. The ILO’s Just Transition framework was presented as a practical approach to maximize employment opportunities generated by the green transition while addressing potential inequalities, ensuring that workers, employers and governments jointly shape policies that leave no one behind.
South-South cooperation as a catalyst for shared solutions
The session underscored the unique contribution of SSTC in responding to climate mobility. Since the majority of migration takes place within the Global South, countries often face similar realities, from environmental degradation and climate-related displacement to labour market transitions and skills shortages.
As panelists Anita Amorim and Anna Tosetto highlighted, SSTC plays a unique role in supporting countries of the Global South to jointly address climate-induced mobility. Since the majority of migration takes place within the Global South, countries often face interconnected challenges, from environmental degradation and climate-related displacement to labour market transformations and skills shortages. Rather than transferring ready-made solutions, SSTC promotes peer learning, knowledge exchange, mutual benefit and country ownership, enabling partners to develop context-specific approaches that reflect shared realities. Through this cooperation, common challenges can become opportunities for collective action on climate resilience, labour migration governance and a just transition.
Speakers presented several examples of ILO-supported South-South cooperation initiatives that have fostered collective learning on migration, climate resilience and just transition, including: exchanges among Small Island Developing States (SIDS) facing sea-level rise and increasing climate vulnerability; interregional cooperation between ECOWAS and CARICOM on labour migration governance and climate resilience; dialogue between countries such as Türkiye and Colombia on labour migration governance; collaboration through regional platforms such as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, bringing together countries of origin and destination to anticipate labour market needs linked to climate action.
These experiences demonstrate how countries can jointly develop policies on skills recognition, social protection portability, fair recruitment, labour rights and coordinated migration governance while responding to emerging climate challenges.
From dialogue to action
The interactive discussion with participants from Africa, Asia, the Arab States and beyond reinforced that climate mobility cannot be addressed through isolated policies. Participants shared experiences from Bangladesh, Nigeria, the Philippines and other countries, highlighting challenges ranging from internal displacement and cross-border migration to return and reintegration, skills recognition and access to decent work.
Speakers agreed that stronger policy coherence, reliable data, institutional coordination, social dialogue and regional cooperation are essential to ensure that climate mobility becomes a pathway to resilience rather than increased vulnerability.
The discussion concluded with a clear message: climate mobility requires coordinated responses that connect migration governance, climate action and decent work. As climate impacts continue to reshape labour markets and migration patterns across the Global South, SSTC provides a valuable mechanism for countries to exchange knowledge, strengthen institutions and develop rights-based solutions tailored to their realities. By fostering cooperation and collective learning, SSTC can help ensure that climate mobility contributes to resilience, opportunity and a just transition that leaves no one behind.
