Labour Migration Statistics for Africa

ADDIS ABABA (ILO News) – Under the auspices of the African Union Commission (AUC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are holding a technical meeting in Abidjan to discuss collection and harmonization of labour migration statistics for the African region.

For two days, senior technical experts will thoroughly engage members of RECs on the Joint Labour Migration Program activities, including the review of latest data provided by National Statistical Offices (NSOs)

An international labour migration data collection exercise for Africa was launched in June 2015 by the African Union Commission and this technical platform aims at identifying better strategies and mechanisms for improving data collection of labour migration statistics in Africa.

High on the agenda is also building the capacity at both national and sub-regional levels for implementing the Joint Labour Migration Program through accurate and reliable data for Africa.

The technical meeting will come up with concrete inputs for the 2015 Labour Migration Statistics in Africa Report and will also provide additional information to implement the Joint Labour Migration Program.

BACKGROUND:

• The Joint Labour Migration Program (JLMP) was formally adopted in January 2015 by African Heads of State and Government as a comprehensive programme on labour migration governance for Africa.
• The JLMP is a four-year program designed to strengthen the effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility in Africa.
• The JLMP is the first global initiative focused on supporting effective implementation of human mobility rules as key to development and integration in the increasingly significant Regional Economic Communities.In order to better implement the JLMP, accurate data and statistics on labour migration are needed to describe, reflect and support a better understanding of what is happening and to make more policy informed decisions on all facets of labour migration
• The Joint Labour Migration Program is an achievement unprecedented in any other region. It is a strategic and flagship initiative in support of the implementation of the labour migration priority of Ouagadougou + 10 process.

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