East and Horn of Africa Labour Attachés Strengthen Capacity to Advance Rights-Based Labour Migration Agreements

TURIN, Italy (ILO News, 1 – 5 June 2026), Labour Attachés and Consular Officials from the East and Horn of Africa (EHoA) have strengthened their capacity to negotiate, implement and monitor rights-based bilateral labour migration agreements through a regional training organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and partners. The five-day Regional Training on Rights-Based Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs) was hosted by the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO) in Turin, Italy, from 1 to 5 June 2026. The training was jointly organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through the UK FCDO-funded Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme and the EU-funded IGAD's Free Movement of Persons and Transhumance (FMPT) Phase II project. The training brought together 33 (8 women) Labour Attachés and Consular Officials from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Participants are currently serving in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, where they play a critical role in protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers from the region.

Labour migration between the East and Horn of Africa and Gulf countries represents one of the most significant migration corridors for workers from the region. Remittances generated by migrant workers contribute substantially to household livelihoods and national economies, supporting income security, resilience and development. At the same time, migrant workers continue to face challenges throughout the migration cycle, including unfair recruitment practices, contract substitution, wage-related violations, discrimination, exploitation and risks of forced labour. Women migrant workers, particularly those employed in domestic work and other vulnerable sectors, may face additional barriers to protection and access to justice. In this context, Labour Attachés and Consular Officials serve as critical institutional actors in labour migration governance. Their responsibilities include supporting access to information and assistance, responding to complaints, strengthening cooperation with destination country authorities and contributing to the effective implementation of bilateral labour migration agreements.

The training combined technical sessions, practical exercises and peer-learning activities covering International Labour Standards, relevant ILO Conventions and Recommendations, the ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative, the IGAD Regional Labour Migration Policy Framework and BLA Guidelines, and the AU Migration Framework for Africa and approaches to developing effective bilateral labour migration agreements. Participants also took part in negotiation simulations and practical exercises using the Bilateral Labour Migration Agreement Toolkit, strengthening their skills in the design, negotiation, implementation and monitoring of rights-based agreements. The programme further enhanced participants’ ability to provide effective consular protection, support vulnerable migrant workers, address complaints and grievances, and contribute to stronger coordination between countries of origin and destination.

By strengthening the capacities of labour attachés and consular officials, the ILO and its partners are supporting more effective labour migration governance systems that promote fair recruitment, protect migrant workers’ rights and ensure that labour mobility contributes to decent work and sustainable development across the East and Horn of Africa region.