Regional ministerial forum on harmonizing labor migration policies opens in Kenya
Addis Ababa, January 20, 2020 (FBC) –“A Regional Ministerial Forum on Harmonizing Labor Migration Policies East and Horn of Africa” kicks off in Nairobi today
The theme of the forum is “A united approach on Safe, Regular and Humane labor migration.”
The high-level forum organized by the Government of Kenya in collaboration with the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) will be held from 20-21 January 2020.
The Labor Ministers of East and Horn of Africa convened to their respective country’s experience and renew their commitment to the collective management of labor migration as well as exchange best practices and addressing the challenges faced by the region in this endeavor.
The Ethiopian delegation participating in the forum is headed by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Dr. Ergoge Tesfaye, according to the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya.
In her remarks, Dr. Ergoge pointed out the fact that Ethiopia is an origin, transit point and destination of migrants from different countries within the region.
Furthermore, she presented Ethiopia’s experience and reiterated the commitment of the Government of Ethiopia in the management of labor migration by developing clear national policy frameworks and legal instruments as well as by being signatory to a plethora of internal labor treaties.
Dr. Ergoge also underscored the fact that Ethiopia champions the prevention of illegal migration and human trafficking, among others by establishing a national taskforce chaired by the Attorney General under the auspices of the Deputy Prime Minister and crafting proclamations geared towards the proper management of labor migration.
The Minister also noted that Ethiopia has already signed bilateral agreements with Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan and negotiations are ongoing with other countries that are major destinations for Ethiopian migrant workers.
The forum aims to harmonize labor migration policies and to develop comprehensive strategies to overcome multifaceted challenges of migrant workers in the East and Horn of Africa region.
Stakeholders such as IOM, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the African Union (AU) are also sharing the miscellaneous international and regional Legal frameworks with regards to labor migration and their respective experience on how to harmonize migration policies among countries to ensure the protection of the rights of migrant workers.