Joint AUC/ECA Project on Migration: Partnerships, Challenges, and Results

Overview Presentation Gideon Rutaremwa Gideon Rutaremwa Social Policy Section Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division ECA

2 Outline of Presentation Background What do we hope to achieve with this project? Partnerships/Collaboration Some challenges

3 Background The project was a culmination of the discussions that took place on the sides of the AU Summit early 2019 between then ECA Executive Secretary Ms. Vera Songwe, AUC Commissioner Social Affairs H.E. Amira Alfadil and Italian H.E. Ambassador Giuseppe Berlendi. The 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) which took place in February 2019, under the theme: Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa .

4 Background The teams from AUC Social Affairs and ECA GPSPD had several initial meetings in March 2019 and zero draft of the proposal was submitted to our principals on 15th March 2019. The proposal went through several iterations thereafter. Finally, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia through the Italian African Peace Facility (IAPF) approved funding for six (6) thematic result areas presented in the joint ECA/AUC proposal in early July 2019.

5 The Six (6) result areas of the joint project 1) Promoting Economic Empowerment of Migrant Women: Identifying and supporting migrant women s engagement in economic activities - ECA; 2) Towards improving migration statistics and Good Legal Identity of migrants in the East and Horn of Africa- ECA 3) Support to the AU Technical Assistance Facility on Migration Governance with 2 technical experts - AUC 4) Support to Combating Irregular Migration among African Union Horn of Africa Initiative (AU-HoAI) Member States and Countries that Lie Along the 3 Irregular Migration Corridors from the Horn of Africa- AUC 5) Support to Cross-border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Data Collection on Migrants' Health in Africa- AUC 6) Enhancing free movement of persons and pathways for labour mobility and skills portability in Africa - ECA

6 Partnerships The joint AUC/ECA migration project is built on strong partnerships, both within AUC, ECA and outside the two institutions. For example at ECA: The GPSPD implements the project in close collaboration with: ACS, RITD, SPORD, OES/Partnerships and Resource mobilisation, as well SROs At AUC a similar arrangement is in place, for example: there is a close collaboration within the various Divisions, notably Africa CDC works closely with HHS- Labour, employment and migration Division to deliver on component 5 of the project. Together, we partner with IOM, ILO, UNWomen and others.

7 Some Challenges Upon completion of the proposal and drafting the MoU, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge in the finalization of some important steps. Subsequently, we had staff attrition, at various levels and at all our institutions: the Italian Embassy, AUC and ECA . Notwithstanding, the AUC and ECA technical teams worked with the new Italian Ambassador H.E. Aberto Bertini to finalize the proposal and received the final approval from Rome in early 2022. The MoU was signed on 8th December 2022 and the fund transfer was completed on 4th April 2023.

8 Way-forward The joint AUC/ECA migration project is expected to conclude by the end of 2025. Currently all project components are winding up, validating knowledge products. We plan to complete all activities by June 2025 and embark on project evaluation. We intend to seek an extension of the project for another phase and roll it to additional Member States.

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