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High Level Delegation from SIDA Visits AUC

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 30th September, 2019: A High Level delegation from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), led by the Director General of SIDA, Ms Carin Jämtin, visited the African Union Commission to discuss the progress, challenges and opportunities within the Priority Joint Labour Migration Project, which is a 9 million USD three-year project funded by SIDA and jointly implemented by International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Labour Organization (ILO).The overall objective of the project is to improve the governance of labour migration to achieve safer, orderly and regular migration in Africa as committed in relevant frameworks of the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Commissions (RECs), as well as international labour conventions and other cooperation processes.During the meeting, the Acting Director of Social Affairs, Dr Jane Marie Ong'olo, representing the Commissioner, expressed her appreciation to the Kingdom of Sweden, and implementing partners, IOM and ILO, for their partnership in the Priority project which is led by the AUC. She stated that the project is working to improve approaches and to step up outcomes for the remaining two years of implementation, with an eye to expand to other areas of mutual interest such as labour market institutions.The SIDA Director General said the JLMP Priority project is in line with Sweden’s priorities, and was consistent with her country’s human rights, economic and developmental approach. She highlighted that Sweden’s economy has grown through migration and the movement of goods, services and people, hence their support for the rules-based openness which the African continent is aiming to achieve. SIDA is also expressed satisfaction with the project implementation and excellent coordination among partners.In highlighting the drivers of irregular migration Ms Maureen Achieng, Chief of Mission IOM Ethiopia noted that, “the JLMP has the potential to make historic changes to how people move and work within the continent of Africa”. She recommended expanding the project to the remaining AU Regional Economic Communities and called on African Union Member States to ratify the AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Rights of Establishment and Right of Residence, as this will contribute to accomplishing the objectives of the project.In her remarks, the ILO Programme Manager, Silvia Cormaci stated that “the project is contributing to improved youth employment in Africa through labour market analysis, implementation of international labour standards on the protection of migrant workers’ rights”. She also noted that the project feeds into global and continental commitments on labour migration governance.JLMP Coordinator, Mr Oumar Diop observed that SIDA funding had attracted additional donor support, and the AUC was developing a JLMP Strategic Plan to make all interventions coherent and holistic. He added that a five-year project is being developed for possible support from Swiss Development Cooperation.The JLMP Priority Project contributes to the 10-year Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance and Integration (better known as JLMP) which is a long-term joint undertaking by African Union Commission (AUC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), United National Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).For information related to the meeting please contact: Mr. Oumar Diop | JLMP Coordinator, Department of Social Affairs, African Union Commission I E-mail: DiopO@africa-union.org For media inquiries, please contact: Mr. Gamal Ahmed A. Karrar | Communications Officer, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | E- mail: GamalK@africa-union.org     ...

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SMAK Members Adopted Code of Conduct for Ethical Recruitment of Kenyan Migrant Workers
SMAK Members Adopted Code of Conduct for Ethical Recruitment of Kenyan Migrant Workers
IOM development fund supports Kenya
IOM Development Fund Supports Government of Kenya in Crafting Labour Migration Policy and Labour Bill
African Union Action Plan towards Eradication of Child Labour and Modern Slavery on the Continent

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14 February, 2019: The 2016 Global Estimates of Child Labour indicate that Africa is the region of high prevalence of child labour. One-fifth (20%) of all African children are involved in child labour, a proportion more than twice as high as in any other region. Nine per cent of African children are in hazardous work, again highest of all the world’s regions. Africa has the largest number of child labourers; 72.1 million African children are estimated to be in child labour and 31.5 million in hazardous work, with high prevalence in agriculture (85%) and mining. Progress against child labour appears to have stalled in Africa. Child labour went up in Sub-Saharan Africa over the 2012 to 2016 period (from 21.4% in 2012 to 22.4% in 2016), in contrast to continued progress elsewhere in the world. In line with commitments that have been made globally and regionally towards ending child labour, various African countries have adopted National Action Plans for the elimination of child labour. However, despite these efforts and the global decline in child labour, it is unfortunate to witness that most of the countries with worst child labour practices are still in Africa. The Africa region has also been among those most affected by situations of state fragility and crisis, which in turn heighten the risk of child labour.It is against this backdrop the Technical Consultation on the Draft African Union Ten Year Action Plan to Eradicate Child Labour, Forced Labour, Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery kicked off on 13 February 2019 as part of renewed efforts of the African Union to achieve the objective and targets of the AU Agenda 2063 regarding elimination of all forms of child labour in the continent in line with target 8.7 of the UN Agenda 2030.The AU Commission (AUC) representative, Mr. Sabelo Mbokazi, the Head of Labor, Employment and Migration Division within the Department of Social Affairs noted that the establishment of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which clearly addresses the issue of child labour, is a strong indication of the commitments that African leaders are ready to undertake. He further added that participatory meetings with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as with other sister departments of the AUC will follow to elaborate on the 10 Year Action Plan to eradicate the phenomena of child Labour and modern slavery.Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, and for the Special Representative to the AU and the ECA, Mr. Alexio Musindo, during his opening statement noted that the most recent ILO Global Estimates indicated that 3.5 million people in forced labour in Africa (2016). Half-a-million of these were children. He emphasized the engagement of the ILO in providing the technical expertise and assistance to the AUC towards the realization of the Ten Year Action Plan to eradicate child labour.During the two-day consultation meeting, presentations were delivered on Child labour, forced labour and modern slavery in Africa and the world and on AU policy frameworks and institutional setting. It is expected that the outcome of this consultation will include identification of synergy, complementarity and potential cooperation areas and mechanisms; better understanding of the potential roles of the concerned stakeholders on eradication of child labour, forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery on the continent; as well as improvement of the draft Ten Year Action Plan by the participants from AUC departments and UN Agencies. The Ten Year Plan of Action will be submitted to the forthcoming session of the Au Specialized technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1-5 April 2019.For more information related to the consultation, please contact: Mr. Oumar Diop, JLMP Support Unit Coordinator, African Union Commission, Email: DiopO@africa-union.org   ...

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AU-ILO-IOM-ECA Hold Steering Committee Meeting on Labour Migration

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 29 January, 2019: In order to help solve the issues of migration when it comes to the abuse and violations of human rights of migrants and refugees on the African Continent, the African Union Commission (AU), International Labour Migration (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Economic Commission for Africa (EAC) have organize a two day Steering Committee meeting on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration (better known as the Joint Labour Migration Programme, or JLMP) in Africa at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The JLMP Steering Committee meeting will examine and review the 2019 work plans of implementing agencies as well as the Labour Migration Advisory Committee (LMAC) work plan to ensure successful results. Discussions will take place on the Terms of reference of the Steering Committee and the Technical Committee of JLMP and the JLMP governance structure. The JLMP Steering Committee oversees and validates the overall direction and policy of the programme, and ensures that the activities of all the programme components are in line with the AU strategy on migration and REC frameworks and common approaches. The JLMP Steering Committee is tasked with planning, oversight and financial responsibilities as a comprehensive governance and management structure. These responsibilities govern and guide the implementation of the JLMP and its Three-Year Project. They cover the administrative, financial and operational aspects of the implementation. The Steering Committee objectives are to: Increase RECs and social partner’s awareness on the JLMP objectives and on the Three Year Priority in particular; Share update on the implementation of the Three year project (2018 to 2021); Align the implementation work plan of the JLMP Three Year Priority Project (2018 to 2021) with the RECs priorities; Adopt the JLMP 2019 consolidated work plan; Approve the disbursement and execution of funding requests submitted by implementing agencies; Rationalize the governance of the JLMP for optimized and coordinated implementation; Develop Terms of References for the JLMP Steering Committee; and Identify JLMP focal points and their deputies from the RECs and selected social partners. The JLMP’s strategic focus is on intra-African labour migration and lends support to the achievements of the First Ten Year Implementation Plan (2013 to 2023) of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations (UN). The JLMP Steering Committee members consists of representatives from the RECs secretariats, the AUC, the ILO, the IOM, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), social partners (Business Africa, ITUC-Africa and OATUU). In addition, the JLMP Steering Committee is at liberty to invite other parties when necessary. Background: The African Union Commission (AUC)-International Labour Organization (ILO)-International Organization for Migration (IOM)-Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration (better known as the Joint Labour Migration Programme or JLMP) in Africa is a long-term joint undertaking between the four organizations. It is an instrument to implement the 5th Key Priority Area of the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development adopted by the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2015. Its strategy focuses on intra-African labour migration and supports achievement of the First 2023 Ten Year Plan of the AU’s Agenda 2063 and of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The JLMP has been designed in response to identified challenges in many African countries and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), such as labour and skills shortages in some sectors, social security benefits and skills portability, labour migration management capacity, and unemployment and a growing youth bulge in others. Moreover, 46.1 percent of migrants in Africa are women who often end up working in traditionally unremunerated roles at destination within the global economy. Female migrant workers are thus a vulnerable group of migrants who are susceptible to working in the informal economy, which renders them even more vulnerable JLMP Priority: In order to have a significant and realistic take-off of the Programme, a Three-Year Project (JLMP Priority) was developed and launched in 2018 with the overall objective of improving the governance of labour migration to achieve safer, orderly and regular migration in Africa as committed in relevant frameworks of the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Commissions (RECs), as well as international labour conventions and other cooperation processes. For media enquires contact:Gamal Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer| Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africa-union.orgStephen Kwaku Darko| Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission| E- mail: DarkoS@africa-union.orgOumar Diop, JLMP Support Unit Coordinator, African Union Commission, Email: DiopO@africa-union.orgFor further information: Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia ...

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Workshop on the Development of a Communication Strategy for the AU-ILO-IOM-ECA Joint Programme on Labour Migration Management for development and Integration in Africa (JLMP)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, September 17-19 2018: “Migration is one of the defining features of the 21st Century and significantly contributes to economic and social development everywhere. Therefore, governance of labour migration is key to achieving the Africa we want as identified in Africa’s blueprint for development- Agenda 2063” said Mr. Oumar Diop, JLMP Coordinator, Department of Social Affairs, African Union Communication. The three-day workshop brought together key stakeholders who discussed the development of communication strategy for the Joint Programme on Labour Migration for Development and Integration (JLMP).In order to ensure adequate visibility of the programme and its activities, a communication strategy needs to be developed at the onset of the project in close coordination between the African Union Commission, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other key stakeholders, said Mr. Oumar.“The development of the JLMP communication strategy could not be timelier given that it will inform and guide our engagement with stakeholders and ensure adequate visibility of our joined achievements within the framework of the JLMP and help to advance the importance of labour migration” said Mr Eric M. Mazango, IOM representative. He emphasized the key role the communication strategy will play in building more solidarity and in creating balanced knowledge on the positive impact of migration. Mr. Ibrahim Kasso, Program Manager, Migration and Employment, Regional Development Cooperation Africa, Sweden Embassy in Addis Ababa, stated that ‘’Sweden is interested in supporting AUC flagship programme since the approval of its five years Development Cooperation Strategy for Sub-Saran Africa (2016-2021). Accordingly, after series of consultations with AUC, implementing partners and other AU development partners (donors), Sweden has decided to provide 9 million USD for the three years JLMP implementation and signed agreement with IOM in July 2018’’.The three-day workshop was attended by representatives from AUC Social Affairs department, representatives from IOM and ILO, officials from Regional Economic Communities and key stakeholders from Trade Unions and Civil Society Organizations.Note to the Editors:The AU-ILO-IOM-ECA Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration (better known as the Joint Labour Migration Programme, or JLMP) in Africa is a long term joint undertaking among the four organizations in coordination with other relevant partners operating in Africa. JLMP is the instrument dedicated to the implementation of the 5th Key Priority Area of the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development which was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments in January 2015, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its strategy focuses on intra-African labour migration and supports achievements of the First 2023 Ten Year Plan of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recently adopted by the UN. In addition, the JLMP is a critical instrument of implementing the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) and Plan of Action (2018-2030) adopted by the AU Executive Council on 25-26 January 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.For further information, kindly contact: Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou | Head, Information Division, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | Tel: +251(0) 911361185 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.orgMs. Eugenia Sirengo | Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | Tel: +251 (0) 115182558 | Email: Sirengoeu@africa-union.org ...

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