The African Union Commission Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and German Development Cooperation, will soon outdoor an action plan aimed at the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Africa.

Ahead of rolling out the strategy, the African Union Commission held a two-day senior officers’ meeting from 28 – 29 August 2024 in Accra, Ghana.

The validation meeting took place as part of the preparation for the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Migration, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the last quarter of 2024, where Honourable Ministers will adopt the validated document.

The Plan of Action is expected to provide guidance for the development of National Action Plans across AU member states, affording a harmoniSed approach in the reporting and reviewing mechanism which is very vital for the continent.

Each year, tens of thousands of migrants from Africa undertake highly risky and irregular migration journeys in search of greener pastures. The International Organization for Migration reports that in 2022 alone nearly 2,800 deaths and disappearances were recorded in relation to such journeys along the central Mediterranean and  West African Atlantic zones.

To tackle this irregular migration across the continent, the African Union is seeking to leverage the United Nation’s Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. With the action plan being evaluated in Accra-Ghana.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Validation meeting , Angela Martins Director for Social Development at the African Union Commission (AUC) stated that “This validation meeting of experts is a golden opportunity before us to fine-tune the draft plan of action to enable it to reflect our collective aspirations. We need to look at this document in a most practical and pragmatic way."

"Since once adopted, we shall be tasked in Implementing it. In all this, we are guided by the pan-African ideology that this process is an AU member, state-driven process for African migrants by Africans: We are also guided by the understanding that migration is key to social and economic development benefiting migrants, countries of origin, transit and destination. Realization of these developmental benefits requires that migration must be managed in ways that promote some migration policies and practices at national, regional and continental levels”

The International Organization for Migration says as consultations proceed on the way forward for tackling Africa’s migratory challenges, it is urging members states to equally learn best practices from other continents to tackle the crisis.

“Today, we are granted the opportunity to ensure that the plan of action 2025 and 2028 is robust and reflective of the priorities and commitments of our member states. As we proceed with the validation, l urge us to keep keep in mind the importance of world government and society approach, the lessons learned, and good practices that could be replicated elsewhere, including beyond our continent”.

Fatou Diallo Ndiaye Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration in Ghana told the Gathering Plan of Action for implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration is scheduled for adoption by the organs of the African Union later this year.