April 25, 2022 (DJIBOUTI, Djibouti): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) commenced the second regional workshop on Harmonisation and Improvement of Production and Utilisation of Migration Data today in Djibouti.
The objective of the four-days workshop is to improve the availability and quality of migration statistics within the IGAD region through strengthening national and regional actors in the production and use of migration statistics.
At the opening ceremony, the Director for Health and Social Development Division of IGAD, Mme Fathia Alwan on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary, disclosed that IGAD has stepped up its work towards harmonising data collection, processing and analysis practices at the member states level and their alignment with international standards.
“This can already be seen with some of the milestones that have been achieved such as the establishment of the Regional Technical Working Group on Migration Statistics, the production of the first edition of the Migration Statistics Report, and the enhancement of cooperation amongst member states”, the Director added.
Furthermore, the Director stressed that the IGAD Regional Migration Policy Framework gives the mandate to create and harmonise migration data and highlights the need to reinforce collection and analysis of migration data.
“I am happy to see the diversity and rich experience and expertise of this team, and I have faith that you will achieve the overall vision of ensuring. We have quality and timely migration and displacement statistics in your respective countries and IGAD as whole”, she said.
The workshop is bringing together experts from IGAD Member States, the African Union Commission, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), Statistics Sweden, and the German Agency for International Cooperation GIZ.
The Migration Data workshop was chaired by Mrs Asrar Ahmed, IGAD Focal Point at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan, with representatives from AUC/STATAFRIC, IOM, ILO, GIZ, Statistics Sweden and IGAD secretariat at the high table.
During the opening of this 2nd Workshop on Harmonisation and Improvement of Production and Utilisation of Migration Data in IGAD region, the Statistician of the regional secretariat for Migration Data, Mr. Charles Ogolla, noted that the workshop was a follow up to the first regional migration data technical working group workshop held in Addis Ababa in August 2021.
Representatives from Djibouti as host country, and Sudan as IGAD Chair, as well as including partners AUC/STATAFRIC, IOM, ILO, GIZ, and statistics Sweden also gave their opening remarks.
At the end of this workshop, the first edition of the IGAD Migration Statistics report will be launched, a road Map of the development of the 2nd edition of migration statistics report will be developed; and the way forward on collection and management of migration data in the region will be well articulated.
The workshop is organised with financial support from Statistics Sweden, GIZ and ILO.
Background
The importance of migration and forced displacement statistics is well articulated in IGAD policy documents including the IGAD regional strategy for development of statistics, the IGAD statistics committee, and the IGAD regional technical working group on migration statistics.
To effectuate those policy commitments, IGAD Secretariat with its partners AUC/STATAFRIC, IOM, ILO, GIZ, and statistics Sweden are working to improve production and utilszation of the migration and displacement data.
The IGAD framework (which is adopted by IGAD council of ministers in 2012) provides a comprehensive policy approach that addresses the strategic thematic, institutional and other challenges related to migration governance in the IGAD region.
The Migration agenda at IGAD is addressed within the framework of the Regional Migration Policy frame work that is derived from the continental framework on Migration adopted in Banjul in 2006.
