Nigeria - The ECOWAS Commission, with the support of the European Union-funded “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa” project, is hosting an Experts Meeting on Identity Management and Civil Registry from 27-30 April, 2015, in Cotonou, Benin.

The meeting will discuss the most recent development in the field of civil registry in West Africa and propose common coordination modalities among ECOWAS Member States to ensure enhanced civil registration process supporting effective identity management.

The meeting will also deliver a master class on identity management to increase awareness by delegates of its core principles, especially in relation to the on-going ECOWAS national biometric ID card development initiative.

“An expert assessment on the status of biometric ID card was conducted in 2014 and, and building on its recommendations, the master class will aim to support travel document harmonization and associated enhanced identity management in the ECOWAS region,” says IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa Carmela Godeau.

The four-day event brings together relevant heads of agencies and high-level officials of ECOWAS Member States’ Immigration and Civil Registry services; ECOWAS Free Movement and Tourism Directorate officials; and senior IOM and international identity management experts.

Migration has been widely recognized as key to West Africa’s economic growth, social development and stability. To ensure the continuity of this trend, there is a need to facilitate regular movement and restrict irregular border crossing, especially in relation to intra-regional migration, which accounts for a large part of West Africa’s cross-border movement.

Improving coordinated civil registry data management and supporting effective identity management will directly contribute to addressing both the opportunities and challenges arising from intra-regional mobility.

As a concrete measure to facilitate and better manage free movement of people in West Africa, the ECOWAS national biometric ID card is being developed in place of the ECOWAS travel certificate. The meeting will contribute to the further definition of the follow-up to the ID card’s roll-out.

The Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa project is funded jointly by the European Union and ECOWAS, and implemented by a consortium of partners comprising IOM, ICMPD and ILO.

For more information please contact Kristiina Lilleorg at IOM Nigeria. Tel. +234 8037850178, Email: klilleorg@iom.int, Website: www.fmmwestafrica.com