Collage of ECA Executive Secretary, Claver Gatete (left) and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Gedion Timothewos opening of the 2nd Regional Review Meeting of the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Africa. Credit: Daniel Getachew - Photo: 2024

Migration Can Be a Catalyst for Africa’s Sustainable Development

By Busani Bafana

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia | 12 October 2024, (IDN) — Migration can be a catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development, a review meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has heard.

The meeting underscored the potential for migration to drive sustainable development through harnessing the skills and investments of migrants.

Speaking at opening of the 2nd Regional Review Meeting of the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Africa, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Executive Secretary, Claver Gatete, highlighted that migration has historically fuelled economic growth, advanced innovation and contributed to building modern states.

The meeting brought together over 250 delegates, government officials, researchers and experts to address migration’s challenges and explore opportunities for Africa’s transformation. Discussions centred on regional progress, priorities and gaps in GCM implementation, opportunities for regional cooperation on migration and the integration of GCM objectives into governance frameworks and policies.

“With the intentional commitment of all stakeholders, we can turn migration into a catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development,” Mr. Gatete said.

Adopted in 2018, the GCM is a United Nations framework to address international migration. It aims to promote cooperation among countries to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration. The compact is relevant for Africa which has a huge migrant population both within and from Africa.

The GCM helps protect migrants’ rights as well as addressing factors driving irregular migration. In the context of Africa, the compact has been instrumental in addressing forced displacement and refugees, tackling human trafficking and strengthening regional and national migration policies.

Noting Africa’s complex migration landscape influenced by financial constraints and the climate crisis among other challenges, Mr. Gatete warned these challenges were straining national budgets and crowding out resources for essential expenditures, making it difficult for countries to effectively respond to them.

Credit: World Migration Report 2024

Intra-African migration exceeds outward migration but there has been a steady increase in the number of Africans migrating to Europe, North America, and the Gulf, the meeting heard.  Between 2010 and 2020, African emigration surged from 20.3 million to 35.5 million people, representing 14.5% of global migration.

Mr. Gatete highlighted Africa’s demographic pressures over 20% of its population aged between 15 and 24, and youth unemployment at 60%. He emphasized the urgent need to create jobs, boost economic growth and innovation through home-grown solutions.

The mutual recognition of skills and qualifications across African borders is key, he said, as the lack of recognition hampered labour mobility and productivity.

“It is essential that African professionals – whether doctors, engineers, or educators – can seamlessly apply their expertise across the continent, free from unnecessary bureaucratic constraints,” remarked Mr. Gatete noted. This he said, would unlock the full potential of Africa’s workforce and advance deeper regional integration.

He recalled for the reform of Africa’s social security systems, allowing benefits such as pensions and healthcare to be portable across borders, so that migrants do not lose access to them. Mr. Gatete cited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an opportunity to address unemployment and unlock human capital.

Accelerating the AfCFTA’s implementation will promote labour mobility and support Africa’s economic ambitions beyond the movement of goods and services, he said.

Launched in 2018 by African countries, the AfCFTA is a free trade area to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. At its full realization, with the elimination of trade barriers, the AfCFTA will bring together the 55 African Union member states.

“Migration policies must integrate climate resilience as climate-induced displacement is increasingly a reality for many in Africa, requiring robust frameworks to support affected individuals,” said Mr. Gatete, calling for standardized operational procedures to protect for ‘climate migrants’ and safeguard their rights.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency some 200 million additional people termed “environmental migrants” will be displaced by environmental factors, including extreme water events by 2050.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Gedion Timothewos, who spoke at the meeting, said Africa was a hub for dynamic and complex human mobility characterised by mixed and irregular migration. Therefore, the GCM offered an important opportunity for member states to comprehensively address all aspects of their migration governance.

Ethiopia, as a source, transit and destination country for migrants, has played a key role in the GCM process from its inception, development and adoption. Ethiopia formally launched the implementation of GCM in 2019.

Minister Timothewos said Ethiopia has selected 10 priority objectives from the 23 objectives of the GCM to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Compact.

Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration and Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration, said migration can be a powerful catalyst for change and development, when it is part of national strategies.

Meanwhile, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, Minata Samate Cessouma, called for the ratification of the African protocol for the free movement of people and goods to come into force.

African leaders adopted the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment in 2018. To date, 33 Member States of the African Union have signed the protocol, and only four countries have ratified it. [IDN-InDepthNews]

Collage of ECA Executive Secretary, Claver Gatete (left) and Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, Gedion Timothewos opening of the 2nd Regional Review Meeting of the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Africa. Credit: Daniel Getachew.

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