14 March 2019, KAMPALA (Uganda): Following successful consultations towards the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons at national level in each of the seven Member States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) today kick started a “Regional Experts Review Meeting of the Draft Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and its Road Map for Implementation” in Kampala.
This four-day meeting has drawn high level experts from the African Union, the International Labour Organisation, the UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration, the Platform for Disaster Displacement, the East African Community, ECOWAS and International Trade Union Confederation, the German Agency for Development GIZ, the European Union, Switzerland and the United States, as well as Universities of Makerere (Uganda) and Bristol (United kingdom) to deliberate on the final draft provisions of the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in IGAD Region.
The aim of the meeting is to undertake a thorough technical review of the Draft Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in IGAD Region and review the Draft Road Map for the Implementation of the said Protocol.
The Director of Health and Social Development at IGAD, Ms Fathia Alwan, recalled that it has been a year since “IGAD commenced the National Consultative Meetings (NCMs) to deliberate with Member States on the zero draft Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, and seek their inputs for the barriers to free movement and benefits from free movement regime”. “These consultations and study form the basis for the substantive provisions of the draft Protocol and its Roadmap that are tabled for your meticulous scrutiny”, she added.
The ILO Chief Technical Advisor for the Project Free movement of persons and transhumance in the IGAD region, Mr. Richard Lavallée, acknowledged outstanding achievement by IGAD “in setting normative and policy frameworks and migration governance architectures which are operational at national and regional levels”.
He highlighted that “the ILO is closely working with IGAD on a project called, “Free Movement of Persons and Transhumance in the IGAD Region: Improving Opportunities for Regular Labour Mobility” thanks to the financial support of the European Union”.
