Improving opportunities for regulated labour mobility and decent work within IGAD Member States
ILO works with IGAD member states to understand current and future skills needs and labour market imbalances to help them properly manage and address the issue of migration in the region.
7 March 2018
Addis Ababa (ILO News): ILO, in collaboration with International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO) and IGAD, organised a training programme for IGAD Member States, to help them acquire a good understanding of drivers of change which impact skills demand, why imbalances occur on the labour market and their consequences that potentially affect the free movement of persons in the region.
Representing Mr. George Okutho, Director of ILO CO-Addis, Mr. Mban Kabu highlighted the rationale behind organizing such training for social partners:
“A major challenge for governments, social partners and other key actors in countries of origin, transit and destination is the effective planning and implementation of sound policies and practices to enhance the development potential of migration, while protecting and empowering migrants throughout the migration cycle i.e. before they leave their country of origin; after leaving and while working in countries of destination; and after returning to their country of origin.”
Mr. Kabu further outlined the areas that the training will cover
The IGAD region is characterized by migratory movements driven by multiple political, economic, and environmental factors, making it difficult to establish clear lines between categories of migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced populations. The region generates more refugee movements than any other area in the world; at the same time, high levels of cross border trade and temporary flows across borders are indicative of the socio-economic interdependence of these areas. The countries in the region are also simultaneously origin, transit and destination for migrants and refugees, who are increasingly using the same routes. While data on labour migration is scarce, the majority of migratory movements are within the IGAD region or to neighbouring regions. These flows are based in part on historical and cultural ties, as well as current global dynamics of supply and demand for workers.
Cognizant of these, IGAD and its member states have taken steps to properly manage and address the issue of migration in the region. To this end, among other things, IGAD and its member states have developed and adopted comprehensive migration policy framework, IGAD regional Migration Policy Framework, in 2012 and further developed Migration Action plan (MAP). Both the IGAD Regional Migration Policy Framework and the MAP have identified the facilitation of labour mobility, transhumance and free movement of persons including the possibility for establishment and residence as their strategic priority.
Representing Mr. George Okutho, Director of ILO CO-Addis, Mr. Mban Kabu highlighted the rationale behind organizing such training for social partners:
“A major challenge for governments, social partners and other key actors in countries of origin, transit and destination is the effective planning and implementation of sound policies and practices to enhance the development potential of migration, while protecting and empowering migrants throughout the migration cycle i.e. before they leave their country of origin; after leaving and while working in countries of destination; and after returning to their country of origin.”
Mr. Kabu further outlined the areas that the training will cover
- Drivers of change that impact the demand for skills;
- Imbalances in the labour market and their consequences;
- Target groups of anticipating skills needs; principles and approaches underlying the anticipation of skills needs;
- Quantitative and qualitative methods to anticipate skills needs and adapt supply and demand to the labour market;
- Different approaches and implications of settling up skills needs anticipation systems; and
- Analysing and translating data from anticipation exercises into effective policy development and planning.
Background
The IGAD region is characterized by migratory movements driven by multiple political, economic, and environmental factors, making it difficult to establish clear lines between categories of migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced populations. The region generates more refugee movements than any other area in the world; at the same time, high levels of cross border trade and temporary flows across borders are indicative of the socio-economic interdependence of these areas. The countries in the region are also simultaneously origin, transit and destination for migrants and refugees, who are increasingly using the same routes. While data on labour migration is scarce, the majority of migratory movements are within the IGAD region or to neighbouring regions. These flows are based in part on historical and cultural ties, as well as current global dynamics of supply and demand for workers.
Cognizant of these, IGAD and its member states have taken steps to properly manage and address the issue of migration in the region. To this end, among other things, IGAD and its member states have developed and adopted comprehensive migration policy framework, IGAD regional Migration Policy Framework, in 2012 and further developed Migration Action plan (MAP). Both the IGAD Regional Migration Policy Framework and the MAP have identified the facilitation of labour mobility, transhumance and free movement of persons including the possibility for establishment and residence as their strategic priority.