African Countries Commit to Strengthen Cooperation to Better Protect Migrants

African Countries Commit to Strengthen Cooperation to Better Protect Migrants

(L-R) UNECA Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary Claver Gatete, AUC Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, African Union Commission H.E. Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma and IOM Director General and Coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration Amy Pope at the opening ceremony of the second Africa review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Photo Credit UNECA

Addis Ababa, 11 October 2024 - Over 300 representatives from African member states, stakeholders, the UN system, and the African Union Commission, gathered for the second Africa review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). Co-convened by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA) on behalf of the UN Migration Network, the discussions from the three-day event will help inform the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in 2026.

At a time of worsening global tensions around migration, the gathering underscored the commitment of African countries to the GCM. The conference focused on concrete steps to address migration challenges and opportunities. Key outcomes included stronger commitments to improve migrant protection, enhance data for evidence-based policymaking and reshape narratives to highlight migration as an opportunity for development.
"This review marks a significant step in turning migration commitments into action, ensuring that migrants are recognized as catalysts for positive change and economic growth," said IOM Director General and Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration, Amy Pope.

There is an urgent need for regular migration pathways and stronger international cooperation to ensure migration is safe, orderly, and humane. The GCM's Capacity Building Mechanism has already supported 16 UN country teams and four governments in Africa, while the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund has financed eight Joint Programmes on the continent. Recent efforts have also been bolstered by new funding pledges, including £4 million from the United Kingdom and the first contributions from sub-Saharan Africa, with Eswatini and Kenya stepping forward.
"Since Africa is a hub for dynamic and complex human mobility characterized by mixed and irregular migration, the GCM offers an important opportunity for Member States to address all aspects of their migration governance in a comprehensive manner," stated the Minister of Justice of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos.

In her opening remarks, H.E. Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission, said: "Migration is an opportunity for the African continent, both for the countries of origin of migrants and for transit and destination countries. We need to intensify our cooperation if we want to unlock the potential of migration and achieve the objectives of the GCM. The recommendations of this review meeting will be brought to the table of Heads of State at the next African Union Summit so that action can be taken."

Claver Gatete, ECA Executive Secretary, outlined five priorities to harness migration's potential: "To make migration a dynamic force for sustainable development across Africa, we must address the barriers impeding its positive impact through five priorities: prioritize the mutual recognition of skills and qualifications across African borders; allow the portability of social benefits such as pensions and healthcare; accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area for greater labour mobility; integrate climate-induced displacement; and include migration data into national censuses and facilitating cross border collaboration for data collection."

Note To Editor:
The GCM Champion countries - numbering 15 in Africa - released a statement recommitting to the GCM; five African Regional Economic Communities were present to brief on the outcomes of their sub-regional GCM Reviews, as well as four African Union specialized migration centres.

For more information, please contact:
IOM: [email protected]
ECA: [email protected]
UN Network on Migration: [email protected]