Africa
The ECOWAS Committee convened high-level virtual consultations with member states, local community partners and development stakeholders on May 6, 2025 through the Department of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, reviewed and enriched the draft of the ECOWAS Labour Migration Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2035).
The pre-verification meeting represents an important step towards finalizing a strategy designed to strengthen governance of labor mobility across the ECOWAS region. As fixed in ECOWAS Vision 2050 and protocols on free movement of people, the strategy has been developed through a participatory and comprehensive approach, including member states, the African Union Commission, AUC, International Labour Organization, ILO and IOM's International Migration Agency JLMP, with the JLMP supported by the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
The committee reaffirms that the labour migrant strategy constitutes a strategic response to the current migrant dynamics in West Africa, reflecting ECOWAS's commitment to advancing human mobility as a driver of regional integration, economic development and social inclusion. It also highlighted the importance of aligning the strategy with AU-Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The consultation focused on five strategic pillars of the strategy. Promoting regular migration and labor migration. Protection of the rights of migrant workers. Maximizing the impact on immigration development. Gender and social inclusion; Improvement of local cooperation and institutional capacity.
This document, which integrates the local legal framework and new priorities, is presented in detail by a lead consultant, highlighting West Africa hosting more than 8.2 million international migrants.
Member state representatives welcomed drafts and provided constructive input, particularly on harmony of labor mobility data, ethical recruitment practices, diaspora involvement, and promotion of remittance flows. Several member states sought greater investment in national capacity building and alignment of national policy with regional frameworks.
During the session, Albert Siau Boaten, director of free movement of people and immigrants, highlighted ECOWAS's continued advocacy efforts and technical work with the National Immigration Services.
He noted the importance of being an “Ecowas Vision Ambassador” and called for collective responsibility to raise awareness of local rights and obligations.
Social partners, including representatives from trade unions and employer organizations, highlighted the need for gender-responsive budgeting, reintegration pathways for returnees, and protection of low-skilled and informal sector migrant workers. The action plan, which approves more than 130 activities mapped to specific outcomes and implementation responsibilities, was praised as a robust and viable roadmap.
The results of the virtual consultations will be notified in the revised draft of the ECOWAS Labour Migration Strategy and Action Plan to be submitted to the scheduled face-to-face verification workshop in Accra, Ghana, May 13th-15th, 2025.
The ECOWAS Committee has repeatedly and repeatedly continued cooperation with all partners and participants, reaffirming its commitment to promoting safe, regular, rights-based labor migrants for the benefit of all ECOWAS citizens.
OceanQuest, an African ocean that is in the spotlight as Oceanx, has made its original conclusions “around an African expedition.”
ai
May 9, 2025
Tag: ECOWAS Committee
Post navigation
