9 October 2024

We, the GCM Champion countries in Africa, reaffirm our commitment to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and its objectives and guiding principles. We emphasize the importance of protecting migrants’ rights, saving lives, promoting regular pathways and shifting migration narratives toward a more inclusive and balanced discourse.

Africa remains at the forefront of global migration trends, where millions of migrants contribute to the socio-economic development of our continent. Migration has been instrumental in advancing innovation and sustainable development, as envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. We recognize that well-governed migration within Africa can serve as a powerful driver of inclusive economic growth, creating opportunities for individuals and communities to thrive.

To this end, we are committed to deepening both regional and interregional cooperation to better protect migrants. We commend the efforts of regional organizations for facilitating labour mobility, advancing regional dialogue on migration governance and promoting harmonized policies that safeguard migrants’ rights while enhancing their positive contributions to our continent. Furthermore, we recognize that fostering a spirit of win-win cooperation is essential to addressing the challenges and opportunities of migration in all its dimensions. Through shared responsibility and innovative solutions, we can more effectively manage migration. These efforts are crucial to ensuring that no country or region faces these challenges alone.

As GCM Champion countries, we strive to scale up our efforts to achieve safe, orderly and regular migration across Africa. We will do so by utilizing the resources and guidance developed by the UN Network on Migration. In this spirit, we call on all African countries to lead by example.

However, much more remains to be done. We express deep concern over the continued loss of lives and human rights abuses faced by migrants. Promoting safe migration is crucial to upholding the human rights of all migrants. In this regard, the GCM Champion countries look forward to the Secretary-General’s forthcoming report on the GCM, which will outline concrete measures we can collectively take to address the issue of missing migrants and to strengthen humanitarian assistance for migrants in distress. It is our shared responsibility to develop actionable plans to implement these recommendations and save more lives.

As GCM Champion countries in Africa, we are determined to lead by example, actively sharing good practices and learning from each other across the continent. We commit to ensuring that Africa’s voice is strongly represented in the global debate on migration, especially during the 2026 International Migration Review Forum.

By working together, we can ensure that migration continues to drive sustainable development while upholding the dignity and rights of migrants across our continent.

For more information, please contact:

UN Network on Migration secretariat: fkim@iom.int