Establishing the Accra Forum – An Intra-Regional Consultation towards Facilitating Free Movement of Persons in Africa

The objective of this project is to contribute to effective migration governance and to support the free movement of persons in Africa in accordance with the African Union Assembly Declaration on Migration (Assembly/AU/Decl.6 (XXV)) adopted in Johannesburg, South Africa in June, 2015.

The expected outcome of the project is to enhance capacities of African Regional Frameworks to facilitate intra-regional labour mobility, free movement of persons and integrated border management. The project will provide a platform for sharing migration data, current migration trends, patterns and dynamics, as well as newly emerging issues, to ensure common understanding and policy coherence at the national and regional levels.

The Forum will specifically contribute to more effective and streamlined migration by providing an Africa-wide platform for a) assessing the status of implementation of the Protocols on free movement of persons of the Regional Economic Communities; b) endorsing analysis of the visa issuance regimes of African countries; c) reviewing a draft Common African Position on migration; d) reviewing a set of draft recommendations for Labour Mobility and Free Movement of People in Africa; and e) making policy recommendations towards enhancing capacities to manage irregular migration flows within the continent.

An initial Technical Secretariat will also be established and, building on the outputs and momentum generated at the Forum, will seek to establish support for ‘Annual Consultations’ that will further support coordination between African institutions and processes towards the implementation of Common African Positions on migration and development.