ECA chief emphasizes the importance of turning migration into a catalyst for sustainable dev’t

Addis Ababa, October 10, 2024 (FBC) – The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is our chance to tackle unemployment and unlock human capital, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, has stated.

Accordingly, accelerating AfCFTA’s implementation will enhance labor mobility and support economic goals, the Executive Secretary remarked.

The UNECA chief made this statement in his opening remarks at the 2nd Regional Review Meeting of The Implementation of The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Africa which is being held in Addis Ababa this week.

The second review of GCM aims to tackle migration challenges and explore its transformative opportunities for our continent, Mr. Gatete said.

“We need to prioritize mutual recognition of skills across African borders. By enabling professionals like doctors and engineers to work seamlessly, we can unlock our workforce’s full potential and foster deeper,” the ECA chief underscored.

Reforming social security systems in Africa is crucial, he underlined, emphasizing that migrants should be able to carry their benefits—like pensions and healthcare—with them across borders. This, according to Mr. Gatete, not only protects their welfare but also acknowledges their contributions to both home and host countries.

Reminding that migration has historically been a catalyst for development – fueling economic growth, advancing innovation and building modern states, the Executive Secretary underlined the importance of turning migration into a catalyst for sustainable development in the region. “However, for Africa to fully realize its benefits, we must actively address the barriers impeding its positive impact.”

Africa’s migration landscape is indeed complex, shaped by diverse factors, including financial constraints and the climate crisis – challenges that, in many cases, are not of the continent’s making, he noted.

Yet, these challenges are straining national budgets, crowding out resources for essential expenditures, and exacerbating the difficulties of responding effectively.

Between 2010 and 2020, African emigration surged from 20.3 million to 35.5 million, representing 14.5% of global migration. And with over 20% of Africa’s population between the ages of 15 and 24, and youth unemployment at 60%, the continent faces significant gaps in opportunities for young people, he said.

Gatete emphasized the importance of acknowledging the potential within Africa to develop home-grown solutions that can contribute to job creation, economic growth and innovation.

To make migration a dynamic force for sustainable development across the African continent, addressing the fundamentals is vital, the ECA chief added.

On the occasion, he proposed five key priorities for consideration to make migration a dynamic force for sustainable development across Africa. These include prioritizing the mutual recognition of skills and qualifications across African borders and reforming social security systems across Africa to allow the portability of benefits, so that migrants do not lose access to benefits such as pensions and healthcare upon crossing borders.

Speaking at the regional gathering, Director-General of IOM Amy Pope said more people were being harmed on the eastern route than on any other migration route in the world, though it does not get a lot of attention.

“What it demonstrates is that we need to build up safe and regular ways for people to move because we know, for example, within the Gulf, there are tremendous opportunities for people to go and live and work, whether they’re going in low-skilled sectors or they’re going in higher-skilled sectors,” she said, commenting on the recent deaths off the Djibouti coast.

“There should be no reason for people to have to move through a smuggler, through a trafficker, a route that will subject them to exploitation and often abuse,” she said.