Benin - On 11th and 12th November, IOM and Benin’s Ministry of Justice will host a two-day workshop in Cotonou to validate a study on Benin’s national legal framework for the protection of migrants’ rights.

The study is a joint effort of IOM and the Ministry’s Directorate of Human Rights and was conducted as part of a project: “Promoting the Ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families”, financed by the IOM Development Fund.

The project aims to support the government’s move towards the ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. It comprises a feasibility study, information sessions for parliamentarians’ to increase their awareness of the convention, and training in international migration law for relevant stakeholders involved in the process of ratification.

The workshop will bring together concerned government departments, legal experts, NGO representatives and labour leaders.

“The validation of this report is welcome and shows the importance that the Republic of Benin attaches to protecting migrants’ rights,” said Nassirou Afagnon, IOM’s acting Head of Office in Cotonou. “It represents a step towards the ratification of the convention, which will also help the government to strengthen protection for its citizens abroad.”

For further information please contact Nassirou Afagnon at IOM Benin, Tel: + 229.66021443 / +229. 95994852, Email: nafagnon@iom.int