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.org

Stephen Kwaku Darko| Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission| E- mail: DarkoS@africa-union.org

Oumar Diop, JLMP Support Unit Coordinator, African Union Commission, Email: DiopO@africa-union.org

For 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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