Geneva – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched its Continental Strategy for Africa 2020-2024 in a virtual event live-streamed and attended by representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), the regional economic communities (RECs), and other key partners.

Intra-African migration remains a dominant trend in contemporary African migration. The Strategy frames the Organization’s new orientation with Africa at policy and strategic levels. It is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) to which almost all African countries adhere, as well as the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, the IOM strategic vision, and IOM Migration Governance Framework (MIGoF).

Participating partners shared brief statements about the trends and priorities in their respective regions as highlighted in the strategy, provided recommendations on ways forward and reiterated their commitment to working closely with IOM in the implementation of this strategy. This collaboration is particularly crucial as it comes amidst COVID-19, which has imposed enormous constraints on human mobility.

The Strategy lays the foundations for renewed and strengthened cooperation with the AUC, AU RECs, and African Union Member States as well as the UN system, among other key stakeholders, for better governance of African migration to foster inclusive and sustainable development in Africa.

It also underlines the needs and priorities of African countries, corresponding to the AU Agenda 2063 and other relevant international and regional instruments. Over the coming five years, key areas of trends and drivers will include climate change and environmental degradation, demographic and urbanization trends, the increasing feminization of migration, growing internal migration, and continued humanitarian and development challenges. 

IOM’s partnerships with AUC, RECs and Member States will help strengthen the role of migration in the development of African countries, address its challenges, and promote the positive aspects of migration through effective governance frameworks. It will also strengthen migration governance and management through innovative and dynamic approaches connected to African realities and values systems. 

Concerted and coordinated actions are needed in a spirit of shared responsibility among States and other national and international stakeholders to maximize the gains of migration and address its challenges, including the negative impact of COVID-19 on migration and border management systems, and on the protection of migrants. 

For more information, please contact Aissata Kane at akane@iom.int.
The full recording of the launch event can be found on YouTube.   
The strategy can be downloaded here.