Addis Ababa – The Government of Ethiopia formally launched its implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), following a two-day consultation meeting held last week (25-26/09) in Addis Ababa where more than 70 representatives drawn from a wide range of stakeholders met to identify key priorities from the 23 GCM objectives. 

Present were government agencies, local and international non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the media, the UN Country Team and the UN Migration Network Secretariat. 

This is part of a round of consultations currently being held in countries covered by the Better Migration Management (BMM) programme funded by the European Union. They aim to provide a platform for governments and relevant stakeholders in East Africa to identify and redefine their priorities in the implementation of GCM objectives.  

Leul Kahsay, Assistant Attorney General and Head of Office of the Attorney General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, congratulated the National Anti-Trafficking and Smuggling Taskforce and IOM for organizing the meeting, and reaffirmed the Government of Ethiopia’s commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach in identifying priorities and developing national plans on migration.  

Kahsay said, “Ethiopia was one of the most notable mixed migration countries in the world […] in an era of unprecedented mobility, being a country of origin, transit and destination for mixed migrants from the region and from within. Therefore, this consultation will provide a platform for government and other stakeholders to provide inputs into the country’s GCM implementation plan.” 

Ethiopia is one of the 152 UN Member States that endorsed the first ever GCM to address all aspects of international migration, adopted in December 2018. The country has taken a leading role in the East and Horn of Africa region in adopting policy measures to facilitate regular migration, as well as to address the challenges posed by irregular migration.  

The members of the United Nations Network for Migration in Ethiopia (UN MNE), formerly UN Migration Working Group, supported the dialogue by facilitating presentations and moderating discussions.  

The UN MNE brings together more than 19 UN agencies, programmes and funds with migration management mandates, and aims to ensure effective, timely and coordinated system-wide support to the Government of Ethiopia to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration. 

Civil society was represented at the consultation by more than ten local and international NGOs working with migrants and internally displaced persons. Their representatives expressed a strong desire to collaborate to ensure Ethiopia’s successful and coherent implementation of the GCM. 

As part of a raft of measures to relax the political space in the country, Ethiopia is currently amending the proclamation governing the operations of civil society organizations. Officials from the Attorney General’s office reiterated that the new law would give organizations wider space to contribute.  

Jonathan Prentice, coordinator for the UN Migration Network’s Startup Fund for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, explained the aims of the recently established pooled fund, which he said will soon be available to support initiatives in the area of migration management.  

The priority GCM objectives and activities identified by delegates are being compiled into a draft report of certain recommendations and will be submitted to the National Anti-Trafficking and Smuggling Taskforce for endorsement.  

The Taskforce currently works as the focal structure for migration management issues and will form the basis for establishment of a National Coordination Mechanism on migration in Ethiopia.  

In her closing remarks, Maureen Achieng, IOM Ethiopia Chief of Mission and Representative to the AU, IGAD and UNECA, commended the Taskforce and IOM for bringing together a variety of actors to define the country’s migration priorities.  

For more information please contact at IOM Ethiopia, Malambo Moonga, Tel: +251-11 557 1707 (Ext. 1427) or +251-960 36 78 21, Email: mmoonga@iom.int or Eric Mazango Tel: +251-11 557 1707 (Ext. 1456), Email: emazango@iom.int