Repository of Practices

Primary GCM Objectives

Secondary GCM Objectives

GCM Guiding Principles*

*All practices are to uphold the ten guiding principles of the GCM. This practice particularly exemplifies these listed principles.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dates

2021 - Present

Type of practice

Other

Geographic scope

Regions:

Africa

Summary

The Continental Webinar Programme, launched in 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, is a capacity-building effort aimed at combining learning, experience-sharing, and virtual networking for migration management practitioners across Africa. The programme, which covers a range of thematic areas from international migration law to border health to combating transnational crime, aims to strengthen South-South cooperation on migration and border management by bringing together government authorities, diplomatic missions, and representatives from Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The initiative serves a dual objective. The first one is to develop global awareness and understanding of migration; the second is to provide a training programme to the stakeholders the following year on the topics identified as priorities by themselves, based on the expectations and gaps identified. The 1st Edition successfully gathered representatives from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Togo and the United Republic of Tanzania; and it is hoped that more African Member States will participate in 2022 to benefit from this multilateral platform that facilitates discussion on the state of implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Organizations

Main Implementing Organization(s)

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Detailed Information

IOM African Capacity Building Centre

Benefit and Impact

The satisfaction survey revealed that the programme met the expectations of 98% of the respondents and 100% of them said they would recommend it. The Centre is in contact with the beneficiaries for the launch of the training programme which will cover 3 themes: transnational organized crime, human rights of migrants and migrants’ protection and assistance. The Centre works in close collaboration with the IOM regional offices on the launch of the second edition of the programme.

Additionally, the webinar programme attracted the interest of representatives of the regional economic communities (RECs). The Launch of a series of webinars, jointly hosted by the AU (African Union) and IOM ACBC, is scheduled for 2022 with the overall objective of strengthening cross-REC relations for promoting an integrated approach to the implementation of Agenda 2063.

Key Lessons

The continental approach of the programme provides an opportunity to 1) comprehend the magnitude and similarity of the challenges faced by Member States and RECs with regards to migration, and 2) recognize the importance of implementing a common approach to the management of migration flows through harmonized migration policies that guarantee human rights of migrants and are sensitive to their needs.

An added value in terms of inter-State cooperation is the sharing experiences on common policy challenges and identifying opportunities for operational coordination as a means of furthering regional and continental aspirations to freer movement on the African continent.

Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)

To be successful, a webinar program must address a well-defined target audience and match their expectations, just like a training session. Because migration is such a broad topic, a webinar on the subject may bring together the private sector, government authorities, civil society etc. The objective of the programme should be defined in advance to guide potential participants in identifying their expectations. Once expectations have been gathered, the programme can be adjourned, key stakeholders identified, and the programme launched.

Innovation

The webinar approach helps training institutions like the IOM ACBC adapt to the covid-19 pandemic by digitizing capacity-building services and, most critically, by allowing them to reach a great number of beneficiaries despite travel limitations and social isolation. It also facilitates the sharing of experiences by and between participants from different national contexts.

Additional Resources