A diaspora council is a consultative or governing body that is made up of or includes representatives of the diaspora. Diaspora councils act as an intermediary between the diaspora and the government of the origin country and may work on integration, economic development, policy, advocacy, cultural preservation or even crisis response. Such councils exist in different institutional types: advisory body association of public benefit, advisory body, representative body and sub-ministry.

As more countries recognize the value of diaspora engagement, the demand for guidance on how to design sustainable diaspora institutions continues to grow. This paper adopts a comparative approach to identify different council models and to give key design considerations for governments creating or reforming councils.

Citation: Dennis, Z., (2026) Representation across borders: How diaspora councils structure belonging and participation, Brussels: ICMPD