AU Forum praises King Mohammed VI's leadership on migration issues

Moroccan King Mohamed VI - PHOTO/MAP

Margarita Arredondas

10 de octubre de 2024 (19:00 h.)

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At the heart of this migration policy is the African Migration Observatory, a specialised body of the African Union operating from Rabat

Morocco's contributions to the planning of migration policies in Africa figured prominently at the second regional meeting of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) held recently in Addis Ababa.

Organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the African Union Commission, the forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess progress on the continent's migration challenges since the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration in 2018.

This forum held in the Ethiopian capital brought together representatives from all 54 African nations to review progress made under the Global Compact for Migration, a United Nations document designed to address global migration challenges and opportunities.

According to Morocco World News, Morocco's role in migration was highlighted during the meeting. In this regard, Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development of the African Union, praised King Mohammed VI's efforts to boost migration initiatives across Africa.

African Union (AU) Assembly at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa - AFP/BRAZILIAN PRESIDENCY / RICARDO STUCKERT

‘His Majesty King Mohammed VI has played an important role in advancing Africa's approach to migration,’ she said, addressing members from across the African Union and the United Nations.

At the heart of this migration policy is the African Migration Observatory, a specialised agency of the African Union operating from Rabat. This observatory was created in 2018 as part of the Kingdom's broader engagement on African migration, officially launching it in December 2020.

Since its creation, this body has played a key role in tracking and studying migration patterns, monitoring trends and boosting cooperation between African nations.

Nigerian irregular migrants queue to board anti-migration office buses bound for Mitiga international airport in Tripoli on June 25, 2024 - AFP/MAHMUD TURKIA

The data collected by the observatory has been instrumental in identifying migration flows and patterns, helping to address challenges such as human trafficking, irregular migration and forced displacement.

One of the agency's objectives is to provide the continent with centralised, harmonised and timely migration data to support policy decisions and improve the overall management of migration across Africa.