The United Nations Network on Migration for West and Central Africa, a key player in migration governance, co-chaired by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), played a pivotal role in convening a significant interregional dialogue with the Government of The Gambia.
The dialogue was crucial in advancing the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) across Africa and the Americas.
Karl Frédérick Paul, UN Resident Coordinator in The Gambia, emphasized the event’s aim to generate a joint declaration enhancing the GCM Regional Reviews. He underscored the human dimension of migration, highlighting its potential to spur development and positive change.
The two-day dialogue facilitated robust exchanges on emerging migration trends, data collection methods, and regional policy harmonization. Key discussion areas included addressing missing migrants, expanding regular migration pathways while ensuring migrant protection, managing climate-related mobility, and aligning regional policies.
The dialogue saw the active participation of a diverse group of senior representatives from nine Inter-State Consultation Mechanisms on Migration (ISCMs) and Regional Consultative Processes (RCPs), such as MIDSA, MIDCOM, RMFM, PAFOM, RCM, SACM, RIAM, OCAM, and the League of Arab States. This diverse representation underscored the inclusivity and broad reach of the dialogue.
Kristina Mejo, IOM Senior Regional Liaison and Policy Advisor for West and Central Africa, stressed the importance of a collaborative approach, underlining that it is the collective effort of all stakeholders that will help us leverage migration’s benefits in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
The dialogue was made possible by the generous financial support of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the PROMIS program. Their support was instrumental in the success of the event.
The outcomes of this dialogue will be synthesized into a comprehensive report to be presented at the GCM Regional Review meetings in October 2024 for Africa and March 2025 for the Americas, furthering the collective commitment to effective migration governance.
