Towards the First Labour Migration Statistics Report in Africa

ABIDJAN/DAKAR (ILO News) – The African Union Commission (AUC) is organizing a technical workshop for senior African statisticians and experts from Ministries of Labour to validate a report on migration statistics supervised by the African Union Commission and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The meeting – to be held in Dakar from May 30 to June 1, 2016 at the Hotel des Almadies – is bringing on board professionals from 23 African countries, including experts from National Statistical Institutes, Ministries of Labour, Regional Economic Communities and International Organisations.

This regional technical workshop on labour migration statistics for Africa is expected to validate a first report of its kind which should contribute to respond efficiently to the current deficit in official and reliable migration data.

The goal is also to enhance national capacities of African countries in data collection and analysis on labour migration in order to make informed policy formulation and implementation.

The African Union Commission (AUC), the ILO, the IOM and the UNECA are implementing a Joint Labour Migration Program (JLMP) for Africa formally adopted in January 2015 by African Heads of State and Government as a comprehensive programme on labour migration governance for the region.

The AUC/ILO/IOM/ECA Joint Programme on Labour Migration, Development and Regional Integration (JLMP) is built as a strategic regional intervention to leverage migration for development.

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.