Harmonizing Labor Migration Policies in East and Horn of Africa: A United Approach to Safe, Regular and Humane Labor Migration is the theme of the fourth such meeting chaired by the Ethiopian government, which will run until March 17.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there will be labor ministers, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the East African Community, the African Union Commission and other United Nations agencies.
Participants will discuss how to protect people leaving or migrating within the region, bearing in mind that while a significant number of migrants expect to travel to Europe and the Gulf region, most movements do are intraregional.
Further points of analysis will be to build consensus on common regional approaches and priorities and to promote social dialogue in the formulation and implementation of human rights-based labor migration governance initiatives to encourage greater labor mobility.
During the event, technical working groups and policy experts will assess, among other things, labor shortages, bilateral labor agreements and ethical recruitment, diaspora and private sector engagement to address development and humanitarian challenges.
The forum brings together labor ministers from countries such as Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
According to the IOM Regional Data Center, there are 13.7 million migrant workers in Africa and 3.6 million in the region.
The East and the so-called Horn of Africa is home to one of the three largest migration corridors in the region.
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