September 1, 2022 (Djibouti Ville, Djibouti): The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, inaugurated the 3rd Regional Migration Fund Steering Committee Meeting for the projects designed to improve the living conditions and to create economic opportunities for migrants, refugee population and host communities in the IGAD region, this morning, in Djibouti.
In his opening remarks of a two days meeting, Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD), stressed that Migration still remains one of the most pressing issues in the IGAD region and it is actually the final manifestation of the complex and multi-faced problems that we are grappling with in our region.
Furthermore the Executive Secretary reminds that for the last 3 years since its establishment in 2019, the Regional Migration Fund has carved out a niche as one of the IGAD programs that directly addresses and intervenes to target the root causes of forced displacement and irregular migration in our region.
“In December last year, I was privileged alongside my good friend the former ambassador of Germany, Michael Haeusler, to launch key social-economic infrastructure projects and initiatives for the Republic of Djibouti in Ali Sabieh and Ali Addeh. Similarly, I am very keen to witness before December of this year what has been going on in Moyale with regard to the approved investment projects on Water Supply, Livestock Value-Chains, and the entrepreneurial support sector.” Dr Workneh said
Finally, , Dr Workneh emphasised that IGAD, RMF is playing to foster community leadership through locally recruited liaison officers who best articulate and represent the interests of Refugees, Migrants and Host Communities, who have often been left out of development planning and implementation in the past.
IGAD Director for Health and Social Development Division Madam Fathia Alwan, on her behalf welcomed the participants to the first physical meeting of the Regional Migration Fund Steering Committee and explained that IGAD has taken further and bold step to establish Regional Migration Fund dedicated to address the social and economic challenges of people living along the migration corridor and in refugee settlements areas in the IGAD region.
“As a director, who is closely supervising the works of RMF at IGAD, I would like to express our deep commitment to realise the objective of the initiative.” She added
The Director mentioned that the regional Migration Fund primarily aimed at improving the social and economic conditions of migrants and host communities along migration routes. And it also promoting the socio-economic inclusion of refugees and improving the economic benefits of the host communities.
During the opening ceremony, the Project Operations Coordinator of the Regional Migration Fund, Mr Ibrahim Kasso disclosed that the objectives of the Steering Committee Meeting are to review the progress of Regional Migration Fund implementation; to assess the financial performance of the project over the last year and to discuss and agree on the future areas of engagements and the required improvements to expedite the implementation of the initiative.
The 3rd annual meeting of the steering committee of the IGAD Regional Migration Fund was presided over by His Excellency Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, the Executive Secretary of IGAD, in the presence of Director for Health and Social Development Division of IGAD, Director Generals from the Immigration Services and Refugee Management Agencies of IGAD Member States, Head of Division East Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Senior Project Manager of KfW (German Development Bank) and IGAD Migration Team at the high table.
Opening Remarks by the Chair of IGAD Amb. Babikir Elsiddig Mohamed Elamin the Director of Subregional Department Sudan Minisry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Moussa Aden Miganeh Prefect of the Ali sabieh region who represents the Ministry of Interior declares open and wishes full success to the work at the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Regional Fund for Migration (RMF) of IGAD may bring lasting change to the well-being of refugees, migrants and the host communities.
The IGAD Regional Migration Fund (RMF) is financially supported by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
IGAD’s migration program seeks to lay the ground for safe, orderly, and regular migration in the IGAD Region as set out in the Global Compact for Migration.
Apart from policy-level engagements, IGAD, in 2019, initiated the Regional Migration Fund (or RMF) as one of the program aimed at addressing the root causes of irregular migration in the region by creating economic opportunities for migrants and host communities along migration routes and improving the socio-economic inclusion of refugees and host communities living in settlements.
IN 2012, the Regional Migration Policy Framework was developed and endorsed by the Member States. National Coordination on Migration (NCM) and the Regional Consultative Process (RCP) were among the platforms established by IGAD to discuss and manage migration.
