Ghana - This week, the Government of Ghana hosts in Accra the first Joint Annual Forum for Intra-Regional Consultations of African Regional Frameworks on Migration. The three-day Conference (16 – 18 September) will be held under the theme Enhancing Capacities of Africa Regional Frameworks on Migration to Facilitate Intra-Regional Labour Mobility, Free Movement of Persons and Integrated Border Management. 

A joint initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Forum’s key objective is to enhance capacities of the Africa Regional Frameworks on Migration to facilitate intra-regional labour mobility, free movement of persons and integrated border management through sharing of knowledge, information, good practices, experiences and lessons learnt. 

The Accra Forum is expected to contribute to the implementation of the AU Assembly Declaration on Migration adopted at its 25th Ordinary Session in Johannesburg in June, 2015 and specifically provide inputs towards the preparation of the Africa-EU Summit on Migration in Valletta, Malta in November, 2015.

Speaking on the eve of the Forum, Charles Kwenin, IOM Senior Regional Adviser for Sub-Saharan Africa said, “The Accra Forum will provide a platform for African regional institutions and partners to share information on current migration trends, patterns and dynamics, newly emerging issues and reliable migration data at the national, regional and continental level in order to find durable solutions to the migration challenges in Africa with particular focus on the migration situation in the Gulf of Aden and Mediterranean Region.” 

The Forum is also expected to assess the status of implementation of the Protocols on free movement of persons of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) across Africa (namely the Arab Maghreb Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Community of Sahel-Saharan States, East African Community, Economic Community of Central African States, Economic Community of Western African States, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Southern Africa Development Community), evaluate the visa issuance regimes of African countries in order to facilitate the implementation of continent-wide visa free regimes and assess progress made in the inception phase of the JLMP and its way forward.

“At the end of the three days, it is expected that delegates will also validate a draft Common Position for Africa on the migration situation, review a set of draft Recommendations for Labour Mobility and Free Movement of People in Africa for consideration by the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) Task force and negotiators as an input to the CFTA negotiations and make policy recommendations towards enhancing capacities to manage migration flows within the continent,” said Kwenin.

The Accra Forum will be attended by 80 high-level officials representing the Secretariats and Member States of Africa’s eight RECs, officials and experts from the AUC, AU member states, UN Agencies and International Organizations, League of Arab States (LAS), Social Partners such as ITUC-Africa, Development partners and other Co-sponsors. Also participating at the Forum will be resource persons from key partners and migration processes such as the Tripoli and Rabat Processes, the academia, civil society, private sector, Consular Officers, Parliamentarians, Diaspora and Workers Organizations. 

For further information, please contact Charles Kwenin, IOM HQ, Tel: +41794067244, Email: ckwenin@iom.int