The Director, ILO

Acting Chief of Mission and Head of Special Liaison, IOM

Representatives from RECs and Member States

Representatives of development partners

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me pleasure to welcome you to the launch of the project Catalytic actions of the AU-ILO-IOM-ECA Joint Program on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration in Africa (JLMP-Action).

We welcome the contribution of eight million US Dollars from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) towards Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP) which is a long-term joint undertaking responding to some challenges Africa confronts, which includes a growing and youthful population, in addition to jobless growth and dearth of decent work opportunities. JLMP is a key instrument for the implementation of the AU Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the Migration Policy Framework for Africa, including its Action Plan (2018-2030) and the UN Agenda 2030.

Since its inception in 2015, JLMP has enjoyed the support and cooperation of a wide range of actors including the European Union through International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and now the SDC. We look forward to seeing more development partners joining this important flagship programme of the African Union. The programme remains indebted to the cooperation among its implementing partners AUC, IOM and ILO as well as our social partners. With this cooperation, the JLMP has recorded several successes and has continued to expand among Regional Economic Communities (RECs). With the JLMP Strategic Framework and M&E Framework (2020-2030), JLMP implementing partners have been systematically coordinating their engagement as well as ensuring accountability and tracking of results.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Labour migration is a current and historical reality in Africa and we need to establish regular, transparent, comprehensive and gender-responsive labour migration policies, legislation and structures in order to reap the significant gains as sending and receiving countries. We have the obligation to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work as committed in the SDGs.

In line with this, the JLMP Action is heralding a new approach of including five pilot Member States in line with the principles of effectiveness, ownership and direct support to the JLMP’S ultimate beneficiaries – African migrant workers and members of their families.

Cooperation and coordination among stakeholders at the continental, regional and national levels is critical for the success of JLMP Action. In this regard, I call on the beneficiary RECs and member states to support and work with implementing partners in order to ensure maximum and impactful results from the initiative. Similarly, I call on all stakeholders to review the JLMP Strategic Framework which can serve as a tool to align our interventions.  To ensure unity of purpose, the project has established an inclusive governance structure, including the Steering and Technical Committees as well as the Programme Support Unit at the African Union Commission to ensure results-based management and timely reporting and resolution of challenges.

As I conclude, I take this opportunity to thank our development partners and welcome you to continue partnering with us in this noble objective. With more resources, we hope to consolidate the gains of the project and allow more stakeholders at the REC and Member States take advantage of and benefit from the project. We must seek opportunities to work in synergy and complementarity.

Again, I wish to thank you all for gracing this occasion and I wish you all fruitful deliberations.