The International Labour Organization (ILO), through the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is organising the second High-Level Labour Migration Advisory Group (LMAG) meeting from 06 - 07 March 2024 in Speke Resort Munyonyo, Uganda under the theme "Strengthening the Common Approach on BLMA and Skills Development Among Labour Migration Advisory Group (LMAG) in East and Horn of Africa Workshop". The workshop aims to provide strategic and policy guidance in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation process of the BRMM programme, while also sharing experience on improving labour migration governance through developing a common approach on bilateral labour migration agreement and skills development in East and Horn of Africa.
The meeting will bring together 40 senior officials from the Ministries of Labour, employment, labour migration and Skills, social partners, national statistics offices, and private employment agencies from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Donor partners and high-level regional counterparts, including AUC, EAC, IGAD, IOE and ITUC-Africa will also be in attendance. Migration in East and Horn of Africa is marked by forced displacement and mixed migration flows. Migration into and from the region is often driven by multiple and interrelated factors: economic, political, and environmental. There are numerous factors causing people to move and the reasons people move may change over time. Clear distinctions between economic migrants and persons in need of international protection are often hard to make due to the mixed migration flows in the region. Limited options for regular migration leaves migrants vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, as they are compelled to undertake clandestine and often unsafe journeys. The region is also a major destination for migrants from Africa and other regions. Majority (80%) of the migration in East and Horn of Africa is within the region.
To overcome some of these challenges and improve labour migration governance in the region, the BRMM programme is strengthening the capacities of countries in East and Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania) to govern labour migration by using evidence-based policies, enhancing migrant workers’ qualifications and skills, and actively engaging the social partners. The second LMAG meeting will provide opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate and strategies on addressing labour migration challenges in the region. The first LMAG was held in Zanzibar from 24 to 25 January 2023, which contributed to a candid dialogue among prominent decision-makers and stakeholders in the East and Horn of Africa. It also enabled decision-makers to share their experience and best practices and commit to specific initiatives and improve labour migration governance nationally and regionally. The two-days meeting, comprised of knowledge-sharing and experiences-exchange sessions, will offer participants with valuable insights into effective policy approaches and best practices. The meeting will enhance knowledge on skills development and enable them to agree on key principles for the common approach to bilateral cooperation. It will also provide a forum for stakeholders to define and agree upon a common approach to bilateral labour migration agreements, thereby fostering regional cooperation and consensus-building and strengthening regional collaboration and commitment to the governance of labour migration in the East and Horn of Africa.
Where: Speke Resort Munyonyo, Uganda,
When: 6 - 7 March 2024
For more detailed information, please contact:
1. Aida Awel Chief Technical Advisor, Better Regional Migration Management Programme, ILO CO - Addis Ababa aida@ilo.org
2. Yonas Berhané – ILO, BRMM Communications Officer, ILO CO – Addis Ababa, Better Regional Migration Management Programme zewdiey@ilo.org
