THE 7th PAN-AFRICAN FORUM ON MIGRATION (PAFoM 7)
“Addressing the impact of Climate Change on Human Mobility in Africa: Building Adaptation Strategies and Resilient Communities”
18th – 21st October 2022
Kigali, Rwanda

Call for proposals for side events

Context
The Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM) is an African Union continental interstate dialogue on migration that brings together African Union Member States and other relevant stakeholders, to discuss and deliberate on various topical issues related to migration and human mobility in Africa. As a continental dialogue, this forum aims to provide an opportunity for AU Member States and RECs, together with other relevant stakeholders to share information, best practices, lessons learnt, as well as learn from each other on ways to improve migration governance and management on the continent.

PAFOM in the last seven years has emerged as a premier continental forum that contributes and seeks to shape the discourse and how migration governance in Africa can be improved for sustainable development, in line with the AU Agenda 2063 and the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The setup of PAFoM allows the dialogue to dove into topics and issues that are current and relevant to Africa and its aspirations, as far as migration and mobility is concerned. In this respect, the 6th PAFoM held in September 2021 in Dakar, Senegal focused on strategies on how to improve labour migration governance in Africa. To ensure that the platform maintains its relevancy, influence and continues to contribute and shape policy formulation, the outcome of each PAFoM meeting are fed into the AU decision making architecture.

The 7th PAFoM to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, presents yet another opportunity for the AU Member States, RECs and other relevant stakeholders to deliberate on the impact of climate change on migration and displacement governance on the continent, a key phenomenal subject of our times. This meeting will bring relevant AU Member States ministers responsible for migration, displacement, and environment, together with their experts’ in the subject matter. It is anticipated that this forum will stimulate a vibrant dialogue and conversation among Member States and invited participants; with the aim of providing necessary policy and operational guidance on mitigating climate-induced migration and displacements at national, regional and continental levels for socioeconomic development. The 7th PAFOM will also presents a unique opportunity to focus discussion on transformative recovery agenda that strengthens Africa’s ability to address a cascade of multi-faceted climate change risks as it navigates the post-covid-19 world and further contribute to the upcoming COP 27 scheduled to hold in Egypt this year.

Objectives of the 7th PAFoM meeting

The meeting aims to:
i) Sensitize participants on the migration-climate nexus and its impact on the socio-economic development and integration of Africa;
ii) Serve as a platform for participants to share experiences and best practices on the impact of climate change, migration and displacement; especially within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and formulate relevant recommendations on early warning, preparedness, and adaptation strategies, including return and reintegration in communities of origin;
iii) Agree on key policy recommendations on how Africa can address the impact of climate change on migration and displacement on the continent;
iv) Identify key climate change and migration issues that can form the continent’s contribution to the upcoming COP 27 meeting in Egypt to be held this year.

Side Events
In accordance with the envisioned programme for the 7th PAFoM, side events will be organized alongside the main meeting during the senior officials meeting of the Forum that will be running from 19th and 20th of October 2022.

Submission of call for proposals for Side Events
As an open space for the exchange of ideas, experiences and lessons learned and that gathers together key member state representatives and premier institutions charged with migration and mobility issues on the continent, the meeting affords an occasion for various stakeholders to organize side-events that have a clear focus on the themes and objectives of the 7th PAFoM meeting and that will feed into its deliberations.

The objective of the side events is to share best practices and innovative perspectives on the themes and objectives of the 7th PAFoM meeting, and to strengthen partnerships and the means of implementation of the meeting recommendations.
Member States, United Nations agencies, AU Regional Economic Communities, AU specialized Offices and Agencies and relevant stakeholders, including CSOs, international and national organizations with relevant mandate are invited to submit their concept notes for consideration to organize and lead side events by 15th September 2022. To allow wider representation, each organizer shall not be involved in more than one side event. Co-lead side events are encouraged.
The submission must provide a detailed description of the event (2 pager), the organizers, partners, panelists and speakers, and how the event would contribute to discussions on thematic areas of the 7th PAFoM meeting namely:

• National realities and efforts in addressing the impact of climate change and human mobility
• The Impact of Climate change on African Cities: Addressing the impact of climate change on migration and mobility in Cities and urban areas
• Addressing protection concerns of groups in vulnerable situation displaced by the impact of climate change and disasters
• Addressing the root causes of climate change as driver to migration, human mobility and displacement in Africa
• Strengthening Africa’s policy and legal frameworks on migration and displacement in the context of climate change: opportunities and challenges
• Towards climate change-induced migration and human mobility accountability, adaptation and resilience in Africa: opportunities and challenges
• Mainstreaming migration human mobility and displacement issues within the national, regional and International climate change discourse including COP 27 and beyond.

Selection criteria
The criteria for selection include the following:
• The theme of the side event should relate to at least one of the seven clusters of thematic areas provided above or be cross-cutting in nature, and the outcome of the side event should inform the overall outcome of 7th PAFoM meeting;
• Consideration should be given to gender balance and geographic (including local) contexts in the choice of speakers and panelists;
• The format of the side event should ensure broad stakeholder participation, and actively involve the audience;
• The side event should last no longer than 1 and 1/2 hours.

Event organizers will be informed of the results of the selection process and a list of all registered pre-events and side events will be published after the event registration process has been completed.

Responsibility of the organizers
The logistics of the side events, need to be arranged in collaboration with the side events coordinators. The organizers of the side events will be responsible for the following:
• Inviting speakers and panelists;
• Inviting participants from member States, major groups and other stakeholders;
• Preparing a summary report on the event and sharing it with the secretariat of the Forum;
• Publicity, reproduction of materials and media coverage;
• Any costs related to the event;
• Events should be conducted in English, French, Arabic and Portuguese. Arrangements for simultaneous interpretation will be the responsibility of the organizers.

Communication
All queries relating to pre-events and side events should be addressed to the following:

Beatram Okalany
Email: OkalanyB@africa-union.org

Ayalew Getachew Asseffa
Email: Ayalewg@africa-union.org

Mary Aisha Menta
Email: mentam@africa-union.org