Migration

Extreme weather events and rising sea levels are having an increasing impact on human mobility, especially within specific countries. In 2022, for example, there were 32.6 million disaster-induced displacements around the world, the highest figure seen in a decade, and 70 percent of these took place in Asia Pacific regions. Policy actors need to anticipate and prepare for future human mobility patterns exacerbated by the effects of climate change to ensure that those who move have their human rights protected and can contribute meaningfully to the communities in which they arrive. Knowing how to anticipate, invest and act on these futures now and needing to react to immediate priorities is, however, challenging. This paper outlines the promise of an anticipatory policy design approach that blends predictive analytics with qualitative foresight to provide the data and space that stakeholders need to effectively adapt and anticipate such events. The approach is introduced here as part of an initiative to analyse the scale and effects of migration to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam and Karachi, Pakistan by 2050 as a result of the effects of climate change.

The Arab region comprises 22 countries with considerable social, economic, political, cultural and geographic diversity. This diversity is further reflected in the region’s demographic profile, with countries at different stages in the demographic transition, which is characterized by a shift from high levels of fertility and mortality to low levels, largely attributed to advances in healthcare, education and economic development. This statistical brief outlines the Arab region’s demographic profile, highlighting notable similarities and differences among the 22 countries today. The brief further highlights demographic trends that the region has experienced since 1950, such as the overall decrease in fertility and decrease in infant mortality rates, as well as the significant gains in life expectancy, and considers how these trends compare to other regions of the world. Finally, the policy implications of demographic change are explored.

Thirty years after the Copenhagen Declaration’s landmark commitments to eradicate poverty, promote full and productive employment, and foster social integration, the Arab region remains at a crossroads. Despite progress in health, education, and infrastructure, deep inequalities, fragile governance, widespread informality, environmental degradation, and ongoing conflicts continue to define daily life for millions. Rising climate stresses, shrinking civic space, and the digital divide compound these challenges, underscoring the urgency for a new, justice-driven approach to sustainable development. With the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) approaching, the region’s experiences and perspectives hold critical relevance for shaping a more inclusive global agenda. This policy brief distills the insights of the Arab regional consultation convened in May 2025 by ESCWA and UNRISD, which gathered voices from across civil society, academia, and policy circles. It outlines the main challenges facing the region while highlighting the participants’ shared call for a values-based social contract grounded in dignity, equality, and ecological balance. By presenting priority themes and actionable policy recommendations, the brief offers a compelling regional vision to inform the WSSD deliberations. It calls on the summit to move beyond symbolic declarations toward transformative action capable of addressing structural injustices and fostering genuine peace, inclusion, and sustainability.

يستطلع هذا الموجز السياساتي الاختلافات في المهارات المطلوبة لأداء عدد من الوظائف في تونس وقطر. ففي تونس، يركّز أصحاب العمل بشكل أكبر على الكفاءات التي تمكّن من أداء وظائف متعدّدة. وفي قطر، تتطلب الوظائف مهارات متخصصة تتّسق مع المجالات التي تنتمي إليها. وبسبب ارتفاع البطالة في تونس، وخاصة بين خريجي الجامعات، يهاجر العاملون المهرة إلى قطر، فيعمل كثير منهم في وظائف تتطلّب مهاراتٍ عالية في قطاعات تكنولوجيا المعلومات والاتصالات، والرعاية الصحية، والتعليم، والإدارة. ويوصي الموجز بتوفير تدريب محدّد الأهداف للعاملين التونسيّين قبل الهجرة، وإصدار شهادات معترف بها عبر الحدود الوطنية، وبناء شراكات مع أصحاب العمل القطريين لسد النقص في المهارات. ويدعو تونس إلى وضع برامج لإعادة المهارات إلى الوطن، لمساعدتها على الاستفادة من خبرات المهاجرين العائدين في تطوير القوة العاملة المحلية. ويمكن لهذه الاستراتيجيات، إذا ما نُفّذت، أن تزيد من إمكانيّة توظيف العاملين المهاجرين التونسيين في الخارج، وأن تعزّز النمو الاقتصادي في بلدهم الأصلي.

The search for solutions to protracted forced displacement must be seen as a development issue, not simply through a predominately humanitarian lens. This applies equally to: (i) internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are citizens or residents of their own country and who are thus entitled to enjoy the rights available to the whole population; and (ii) refugees and asylum seekers who are often dependent on the will and capacity of host countries to support them in finding solutions to their displacement. This Position Paper presents an overall vision and highlights a major role for UNDP to lead and contribute to solutions in the areas affected by the Syria crisis and, more broadly, by internal displacement, including in Iraq. It builds upon UNDP’s global approach to development solutions to forced displacement, and gives a clear direction for UNDP’s role on adaptive solutions, clarifying and further strengthening UNDP’s development leadership, integrated policy interventions, and strategic programming directions. UNDP will build upon its existing knowledge and expertise in the region through a combination of policy dialogue, strategic programmatic interventions, renewed partnerships and coalitions, and a solid and more focused financing strategy.