Regional Information Brief – Africa
August 2024
Africa
This Brief provides an overview of the current state of the UN Network on Migration and aspects of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) in Africa. It serves as an introduction and background for the second Regional Review of the GCM which will be hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), jointly with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the African Union Commission (AUC), on 9-10 October 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
UN Networks on Migration in Africa
There are three Sub-Regional Networks in Africa:
- The Regional UN Network on Migration for East and Southern Africa is co-chaired by IOM as Coordinator of the Network and UNICEF. The ToR are available here.
- The Regional UN Network on Migration for West and Central Africa is co-chaired by IOM as Coordinator of the Network and OHCHR. The workplan is available here.
- The Regional UN Network on Migration for the Arab Region was created under the Issue-based Coalition on Migration in the Arab Region. IOM serves as Coordinator of the Regional Network. IOM and UNESCWA form the co-secretariat. The workplan is available here.
The Continental UN Network on Migration for Africa is co-chaired by IOM as Coordinator of the Network and UNECA. The Continental Network includes all UN agencies based in Addis Ababa with liaison functions to the African Union Commission and part of the RCP-Africa. The ToR are available here.
34 UN Country Networks on Migration established in Africa
Click on each country to get direct access to the Country Network’s Terms of Reference.
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, DR Congo, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
15 Champion countries in the region
A series of dialogues and initiatives among GCM Champion countries underscored the collective commitment to enhance migration governance and advance the implementation of the GCM in Africa.
These engagements yielded key recommendations to foster collaboration and steer efforts towards accelerated action for GCM implementation.
In January 2023, a first Informal Dialogue of GCM Champion countries from the Middle East, Africa, and Europe brought together technical representatives from 16 GCM Champion countries in Rabat, Morocco. The gathering laid the groundwork for subsequent discussions and resulted in key recommendations to act as a roadmap to support continued commitment.
In November 2023, Ghana hosted an informal dialogue that brought together representatives from 28 GCM Champion countries in Africa, the Arab States, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean to discuss regional and cross-regional collaboration in GCM implementation. The meeting concluded with a set of key recommendations to guide these efforts.
Practices
The Migration Network Hub’s Repository of Practices showcases practices that contribute to GCM implementation from around the world, from local and national to regional and global levels. Anyone working on migration can submit a practice for peer review; those of relevance and utility to the GCM are published in the Repository.
44 Practices from Africa represent 14 per cent of all practices globally.
Most practices cover multiple GCM Objectives.
Countries where practices are implemented
A practice may be implemented in multiple countries.
- GCM practices are quite diverse in their thematic focus, reflecting the range of issues within the African migration landscape. Some of the most commonly addressed themes include climate change, the economic and social inclusion of various migrant groups, and migration governance in general.
- Reducing vulnerabilities (Obj, 7), minimizing adverse drivers (Obj. 2), and information provision (Obj. 3) are the most frequently addressed GCM Objectives in practices across the region.
- Among the practices submitted, many cover multiple countries and have a regional focus rather than focusing on single countries.
- However, one-third of the countries on the continent have not published practices. More submissions of practices from this continent are encouraged.
Highlights from Africa
Kenya GCM Implementation Plan (2023-2027)
Pledges
A pledge is a measurable commitment to advance the implementation of GCM Guiding Principles, Objectives, or actions. It can take various forms, including financial contributions, human resource support, process-oriented commitments, and policy-oriented commitments. Pledges should be concrete, measurable, realistic, forward-looking, time-bound, and preferably developed in partnership with others, consistent with international law and the 2030 Agenda.
38 pledges have been submitted.
They come from ten Member States, eighteen local authorities and ten civil society organizations.
A pledge may be implemented in multiple countries and cover multiple GCM Objectives.
In Africa, the remarkable participation of municipalities, which have nearly doubled the number of commitments made compared to those of governments, deserves special attention. These pledges, focused on reducing vulnerabilities, improving access to basic services, and fostering international cooperation, reflect the continent’s commitment to collaborative efforts.
Member States and stakeholders are encouraged to report on the implementation of their pledges through the webform here.
16 voluntary GCM reports ahead of the International Migration Review Forum
Capacity building for 12 UN Country Teams
12 UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in Africa have received support from the Network’s regional facilitation teams to explore how safe, orderly and regular migration can be integrated into their work with governments and stakeholders.
Click on the countries to get direct access to more information on the UN Network Workshops.
Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Uganda.
Information about these workshops can be found on the Migration Network Hub.
Demand-driven technical assistance for Member States
4 countries in Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Sierra Leone) tapped into technical assistance to embed the GCM in their national policy frameworks. To date, Kenya has launched a GCM National Implementation Plan and Ghana has conducted a mapping and needs assessment to identify core areas for national GCM implementation.
6-step guidance to support Member States with GCM implementation planning can be found here.
Information about this support can be found here.
Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholders in three countries (Ghana, Kenya and Malawi) are partners in the process of developing GCM National Implementation Plans. In Ghana, stakeholders have launched an independent national coalition on the GCM to advocate for the implementation and monitoring of the NIP.
The Continental Youth Consultation on Migration in Kigali launched the Africa Youth for Migration Ambassador program and a roadmap for concrete actions on the GCM.
A Stakeholder Advisory Group was launched the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The group partnered in planning civil society engagement in the Arab Regional Reviews.
A West and Central Africa regional meeting launched a network of lawyers and academics to generate a report on alternatives to detention practices.
Southern African CSOs, led by the International Detention Coalition, held a GCM Talk and will convene a consultation to exchange good practices on alternatives to detention.
In partnership with GIZ’s Better Migration Management program, the Network held capacity-building workshops on the GCM with a network of CSOs in the ESA region. The GIZ CSO network is currently drafting a shadow report for the Africa Regional Review.
The regional meeting of West and Central Africa National Human Rights Institute partnered with the Network to hold a capacity- building workshop on the GCM and key advocacy priorities.
The Regional UN Network on Migration for West and Central Africa held a stakeholder consultation to prepare for the sub-regional reviews in the ECOWAS and ECCAS regions as well as the Regional Review for Africa.
Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund in Africa
The Fund Steering Committee has set the total capitalization target at USD 150 million by the next International Migration Review Forum (2026). To date, approximately 38 per cent of this target has been mobilized (USD 57.5M) from 20 Member States.
Joint Programmes
8 Joint Programmes funded
in Africa (out of 24 worldwide).
9 Joint Programmes are in the M-MPTF Pipeline
2 Steering Committee members
GCM implementation, follow-up and review: Resources and tools
The 2024 Regional Review in Africa provides States and stakeholders, including regional consultative processes, an opportunity to assess their progress in implementing the objectives and guiding principles of the Global Compact for Migration, with a particular focus on regional collaboration and dialogue. Download here the roadmap for the Regional Review process for Africa.
Submit your request to organize regional or national GCM Talks here.
Learn More About the GCM Regional Review 2024 Learn More About the GCM Regional Review 2020 Learn More About the IMRF
Learn more about the Capacity Building Mechanism in this video.
GCM Review Timeline
*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).