The International Labour Organization (ILO) and ITC-ILO are excited to announce the upcoming Labour Migration Academy in 2025, which will gather international leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to address the impacts of climate change on human mobility, with a particular focus on South-South Cooperation and the Just Transition.
Climate change poses profound threats globally, especially to developing nations and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which face heightened vulnerability due to climate-related hazards and limited adaptive capacity. The academy will address the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience-building in developing countries, with a focus on how cooperative South-South efforts can support these goals. The Global Climate Risk Index 2021 underscores that the ten nations most affected by climate change between 2000 and 2019 are all developing and least-developed, highlighting the need for collaboration among these regions.
The 2025 academy will explore how climate change is increasingly a catalyst for migration, both within and across borders. Sudden disasters and slow-onset changes alike are prompting individuals to move, often as a last-resort strategy for survival. Managed effectively, climate-induced migration can serve as a tool for resilience, supporting climate-affected communities through remittances, skills, and knowledge exchange. However, migration can become maladaptive without protections against exploitative conditions and deprivation of fundamental worker rights.
Anchored in the ILO’s Guidelines for a Just Transition towards Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies, the academy will promote a just transition for climate migrants, placing human rights and decent work at the core of climate adaptation and migration policies. In line with these guidelines, the 2025 Labour Migration Academy will encourage knowledge-sharing among countries in the Global South, focusing on the unique experiences of SIDS in regions such as the Caribbean and the Pacific. By pooling resources and exchanging best practices, these nations can collaboratively create sustainable economies that uphold fair employment standards amid climate transitions.
The academy’s thematic tracks will cover diverse aspects of climate-induced mobility, from fair recruitment practices and women’s engagement in climate migration to bilateral agreements and social dialogue frameworks. SIDS-SIDS collaboration will be central, allowing regions with shared climate vulnerabilities to advocate for just transition policies and to advance decent work standards globally. Key areas of focus include local economic development for host communities, entrepreneurship for displaced persons, and fair policies for skills development.
As a part of the ILO’s Priority Action Programme on Just Transition, the 2025 Labour Migration Academy will convene experts to strengthen policy frameworks, enhance employment protections, and promote green job creation. These efforts will support developing countries in integrating decent work considerations into climate-related initiatives, aiming to foster inclusive and equitable economic transitions.
The 2025 Labour Migration Academy promises to be a milestone event, driving dialogue and collaboration among developing nations to address the complex intersection of climate change, human mobility, and social justice. This initiative will not only provide valuable insights into addressing climate-induced migration but also advance global cooperation for sustainable development.
At the “E-learning on the labour dimensions of climate change and human mobility” opening session of preparatory online course on 5th November the Head of ESPU, PARTNERSHIPS, Anita Amorim together with Anastasiia Pavlova shared with participants the modalities and approaches of SSTC and and perspective collaboration for the climate change.