strategic vision

Type: Regional consultative process on migration (Region: Africa)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: African Union

Established: 2014

Objectives

Founded in 2012 and established in 2014, the AU-Horn of Africa Initiative on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (AU HoAI) serves as a forum for participating countries from the Horn of Africa region to debate issues, exchange information, share experiences and deliberate on the status and counter measure approaches to human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the Horn of Africa region.

The first regional Ministerial conference establishing the AU-HoAI on Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants was held in October 2014, in Khartoum, Sudan and was preceded by a Senior Officials Meeting. The meeting adopted a strategy and action plan to be implemented through regional and national level interventions.

 

 

Establishment of the AU-HoAI follows the African Union's (AU) commitment to, and increased focus on issues of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants took which form officially with the adoption of the Ouagadougou Action Plan to combat human trafficking, especially women and children in 2006 and regional activities which have followed as part of the AU.COMMIT campaign (African Union Commission Initiative Against Trafficking).

This commitment was reaffirmed during the 25th Ordinary Summit of the AU Assembly held in June 2015 in Johannesburg when a Decision (Assembly / AU / Decl.6 (XXV)) was issued by Heads of State and government highlighting the urgency to “strengthen efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling of migrants ”through the effective implementation of existing international and regional frameworks. The decision also requested regular reports to the AU Executive Council on the implementation of the AU-HoAI strategy and action plan.

AU HoAI aims at:

  • Supporting the effective implementation of the Migration Policy Framework for Africa and the Ouagadougou Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as other relevant policies, positions, and strategies at national levels as they pertain to Africa;
  • Promoting regular dialogue among participating countries and other relevant actors including other transit and destination countries;
  • Building common understanding on the causes, consequences, patterns and to predict future trends of irregular migration in the region;    
  • Enhancing cooperation among participating countries especially in the area of ​​dismantling, investigating and prosecuting the criminal networks of smugglers and traffickers, while ensuring protection for the victims;
  • Devising appropriate mechanisms to address the issue of smuggling and trafficking in the region;
  • Facilitating technical assistance and capacity building; and
  • Engaging in the resource mobilization activities to ensure funding for projects implemented under the AU-HoA Initiative.

Current Thematic Focus

Specific areas of discussion include:

  • Prevention of human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
  • Strengthening of protection and assistance to victims of human trafficking and smuggled persons.
  • Enhancing rule of law, prosecution and border management

Chairing Country

Current Chair:  Sudan
Past Chairs:  Egypt
Upcoming Chairs:  Ethiopia

Committees and Working Groups

Addis Working Group is a managerial-level structure made up of Member State diplomats based in Ethiopia, which advises the Secretariat on policy and technical matters. 

Steering Committee is a managerial-level structure made up of representatives of core Member States, which advises the Secretariat on policy and technical matters.

Technical Working Group of Law Enforcement Agencies (TWG-LE) conducts HoAI's expert-level work.

Secretariat

The Secretariat has the following standing members:

  • African Union Commission Department of Social Affairs
  • IOM Special Liaison Office to the African Union
  • UNHCR
Members

The AU HoAI Initiative is a multi-stakeholder structure comprising core countries, neighboring countries and invited partner countries.

Member States  (10 States, referred to by the AU HoAI as “core countries” and “neighboring countries”)

Core Countries (4 States)

  • Egypt
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia        
  • Sudan

Neighboring Countries (6 States)

  • Djibouti
  • Kenya
  • Libya
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Tunisia

Note:  Founding Members: Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan and Tunisia.

Member Organizations  (1 organization)

  • African Union
Observers

Observer States  (6 States, referred to by the AU HoAI as “invited partner countries”)

  • Italy
  • Malta
  • Norway
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Switzerland
  • Yemen

Observer Organizations  (7 organizations)

Related Links
Meetings

At the policy level, AU HoAI organizes Senior Officials' and Ministerial Meetings when necessary. At the management level, AU HOAI meets through the Addis Working Group and the Steering Committee, and at the technical level, it convenes Technical working group meetings.

  • September 20-21, 2022, AU-HoAI Senior Officials Meeting
  • February 22, 2021, Virtual Event, Meeting to Discuss Progress on the Preparation of the “First Statistical Report on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Among Member States of the African Union Horn of African Initiative on Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants”"
  • October 1, 2020, Virtual Event, 2nd Virtual Technical Meeting on Data Collection on Irregular Migration and Associated Protection Risks towards the Production of a Statistical Report on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in the Horn of Africa and Surrounding Region 
  • June 4, 2020, Virtual Event, Technical Workshop for the Review and Validation of Available Data on Irregular Migration in the Horn of Africa and Surrounding Region.
  • January 23-24, 2020, Bishoftu, Ethiopia, National Stakeholder Workshop on the AU-Horn of Africa Mainstreaming Initiative for Countering Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling
  • October 30, 2019, Nairobi, Kenya, 6th Senior Officials Meeting of the AU-HoAI
  • October 29 , 2019, Nairobi, Kenya, Workshop to Review and Validate the AU-HoAI Logo / Branding and Website
  • October 28, 2019, Nairobi, Kenya, 5th Meeting of the Technical Working Group of Law Enforcement Agencies (TWG-LE)
  • June 13-14 , 2019, Nairobi, Kenya, Workshop on the Implementation of the AU-Horn of Africa Initiative Communication Strategy
  • May 20-21, 2019, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mainstreaming Counter Trafficking and Smuggling Interventions through National Coordination Mechanisms in the Horn of Africa Region: A Consultative Workshop between IGAD and the AU-Horn of Africa Initiative
  • May 7-10, 2019, Tunis , Tunisia, Workshop on Migration Data Management within the Context of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in the Horn of Africa Region
  • 20 December 2018, Maseru, Lesotho, Fostering Dialogue and Collaboration between the AU Horn of Africa Initiative (AU-HoAI) and the SADC in Addressing Irregular Migration on the Southern Migratory Route
  • 24 October 2018, Cairo, Egypt, 5th Senior Officials 'Meeting
  • 23 October 2018, Cairo, Egypt, Core Member States' Meeting
  • 1 October 2018, Nairobi, Kenya, 4th Meeting of the Technical Working Group of Law Enforcement Officials
  • 8-9 November 2017, Luxor, Trilateral Thematic Meeting on Trafficking and Smuggling of People, focusing on Unaccompanied Minors.
  • 10 June 2016, Sharm-el-Shaikh, Egypt, Second ministerial meeting of the AU-Horn of Africa Initiative on Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants
Documents
Contact Information

African Union Commission Secretariat

Department of Social Affairs
 

African Union Headquarters

PO Box 3243

Roosevelt Street (Old Airport Area)

W21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
 

Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00

Fax: (251) 11 551 78 44

 

Website: https://au.int/sa

Email: webmaster@africa-union.org

 

More Information

Related Topics & Pages

Inter-State Consultation Mechanisms on Migration