Migration Program

Oct. 19, 2019 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Oct. 17 closed the Second Rounds of Negotiations on the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons under the leadership of Major General Kasiita Gowa, Director of Citizenship and Immigration Control at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uganda with the Director of Health & Social Development at IGAD, Ms Fathia A. Alwan, in attendance at the high table among other officials.

Oct. 14, 2019 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) this morning kick started the Second Rounds of Negotiations on the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons under the leadership of Major General Kasiita Gowa, Director General of Immigration & Passports at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uganda with the Director of Health & Social Development at IGAD, Ms Fathia A. Alwan, in attendance at the high table among other officials.

Director Fathia Alwan reminded the audience that the Protocol was ‘aimed at ensuring that migration in IGAD region is safe, orderly and beneficial to the citizens of this Region’.

‘Today we gather together to finalize the expert negotiations on the aspirations of the IGAD Member States to have a Free Movement Regime as foreseen in the Agreement Establishing IGAD in 1986’, she continued.

Ms Fathia Alwan observed that the provisions reviewed, the changes suggested, and the formulations introduced during the first rounds of regional level negotiations on the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in the IGAD Region a few months ago were consolidated in the version to be discussed during the next three days.

Today we are here to facilitate the realisation of the aspirations of the Agreement Establishing IGAD in 1986 and the African Union Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment adopted by AU Heads of State in 2018’, Major General Kasiita Gowa said during his opening remarks.

According to Major General the ‘integration through free movement will lead to socio-economic development, facilitate trade and investment for our people, will ignite creativity to create jobs for our people, and promote tourism’.

With support from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF), IGAD Secretariat undertook national consultative meetings with all its Member States to get a clear understanding of the benefits and barriers to free movement of persons in the region as well as get inputs of the Member States experts into the thematic provisions of the Draft Protocol. Inputs from the IGAD Member States’ Country Reports and the Study form the resources for developing this Protocol and its Road Map.

Oct. 7, 2019, (ADDDIS ABABA, Ethiopia): The Minister of Peace of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Hon. Jamal Atto Zeynu, today opened 12^th Regional Consultative Process (RCP) of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Migration in Addis Ababa.

The IGAD Regional Consultative Process (RCP) on Migration, whose theme this year is ‘Regional Exchange on Experiences in Supporting Resilience and Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement in the IGAD Region’, is meant to promoting exchange of experiences among IGAD member states and sharing lessons learned with the wider international community.

The participants to the IGAD Migration RCP include:

• technical representatives from national ministries;
• regional and local authorities from areas highly impacted by internal displacement;
• National Human Rights Institution representatives;
• National Protection Cluster Coordinators;
• AU, IGAD and other Regional Economic Community representatives;
• UN Resident Coordinators/Humanitarian Coordinators and UN agencies;
• NGOs, private sector, development partners;
• representatives of displacement-affected communities; and
• local, regional and international experts on subject matter.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony the Director of Health and Social Development Division-IGAD, Ms Fathia A. Alwan, highlighted the fact that the 12^th IGAD RCP on Migration was the first to be dedicated to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

‘It is indeed the first time that IGAD has partnered with GP20, a multi-stakeholder initiative bringing together UN entities, NGOs, academia, UN Member States, the World Bank and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to advance prevention, protection and solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs)’, she added.

She reminded the audience that the RCP forum provided a unique platform to share experiences particularly on good practices and lessons Learnt in supporting the resilience and durable solutions to internal displacement.

This regional exchange provides a platform for government officials and other stakeholders to share their experience and expertise in supporting resilience and durable solutions to internal displacement in their contexts.

Specifically, this event aims to:

• Take stock, draw lessons and document operational practices and their lessons learned on supporting resilience and durable solutions to internal displacement in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda;
• Identify the current needs and challenges in supporting resilience, preventing displacement, improving the protection of IDPs and achieving durable solutions to internal displacement in the IGAD region, including ratifying and implementing the Kampala Convention and other policy frameworks;

This event is expected to come to an end after having achieved the following:

• An outcome document with key conclusions, recommendations and commitments on durable solutions to internal displacement IGAD Regional Consultative Process 2019 meeting report;
• Inclusion of lessons learnt into a global compilation of good practices and lessons learned to address internal displacement that will be published in 2020 as a product of the GP20 Plan of Action for IDPs (2018-2020) and fed into relevant global processes.

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia hosting the 12^th IGAD Migration RCP. The Government of Switzerland is providing financial support to the event while the Global Protection Cluster brought technical assistance to GP20 and IGAD with the organisation of the event.

Sept. 16, 2019 (ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia): Number of refugees in the Horn of Africa remains high with over four million and another eight million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), according to the situational reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Attachments:

Adopted Communique 2nd NAP Stocktake Meeting .pdf

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2019-09-19 06:15