On 9-10 October 2019, the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), and the Gorée Institute jointly organised a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue on the theme “Migration, Peace and Security: What Role for CSOs in Promoting Regional Integration in the Nexus of Migration and Free Movement of People”.

The forum, held at Gorée Island, Senegal, attracted over 40 participants from civil society, government, academia, international and regional organizations in 10 countries.

The AYC was represented by Mr. Moussa Diop, Commissioner of Political Affairs (Senegal) and Mr. Kawsu Sillah, Executive Secretary (Gambia).

The main objective of the dialogue was to explore migration and free movement of people in the nexus of regional integration, address the pros and cons of this discourse, and recommend practical operable recommendations for the AU, Member States, RECs/RMs and other stakeholders working on migration, peace and security.

The specific objectives of the forum were to:

• Assess the situation of migration and displacement in Africa and challenges posed;
• Discuss strategic approaches that protect the human rights of migrants and refugees in countries of destination, transit, and origin;
• Identify the critical role of CSOs on the topic.

Opening

In his opening speech, Dr. Yonas Adaye Adeto, Director, Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) acknowledged that the location of the Post-Tana Forum in Gorée Island was symbolic of the important historical legacy of migration in and out of Africa. ‘’The Tana Forum is a symbol of African intellectual independence, and the organization of dialogue foras such as the Post-Tana Forum is a useful space for key organizations such as ECOWAS to discuss and develop substantive knowledge and policies on migration’’, he said.

Dr. Yonas went on to highlight that the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa (Tana Forum) aims at bridging the gap between policy making and policy implementation by bringing together Heads of State and Government, experts, prominent personalities, leaders of international and regional institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, eminent scholars, academics and socially engaged youth to discuss timely issues in a spirit of commonality and moral duty towards finding solutions to peace and security challenges facing the continent.

Accordingly to the director, the informal nature of the Forum lends a different approach to discussing security issues on the continent. ‘’The Forum is not intended to deliver official declarations; instead, it is stimulated by the desire to engage in fresh, candid and in-depth discussions on pressing peace and security issues to produce innovative ideas and open new windows of opportunities for solutions’’, he added.

He noted that in its 8th edition, the Tana Forum discussed “Political Dynamics in the Horn of Africa: Nurturing the Emerging Peace Trends” on 3-4 May 2019 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Further, he revealed that during this forum, national and regional stability in the Horn of Africa (HoA) was highlighted as paramount importance to the region’s peace and security agenda, serving as vital components of sustainable development objectives across the region. ‘’Among the various topics raised and discussed, the situation regarding migration and free movement of people in Africa and beyond emerged as an issue that requires deeper discussions and engagement with civil society institutions. This was the backdrop to this Dakar dialogue, which aimed to garner experiences and perspectives from CSOs and stakeholders active in this field, Dr. Yonas concluded.

Other speakers of the opening ceremony includes; Mr. Doudou Dia, Director, Gorée Institute; Mrs. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Director, African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP); Professor Ndioro Ndiaye, Advisor to the President, Government of Senegal and Brigadier General Amadou Anta Gueye, Director, Centre des Hautes Etudes de Dfense et de Scruit/CHEDS/.

Panel Discussions

Mr. Kawsu Sillah, Executive Secretary of the AYC participated in a panel discussion on “Current Status of Migration and Displacement in Africa” which focuses on ► State and non-state actors and external responses to  migration (interrogating current policy frameworks, mediating efforts and their impact); ► Push and pull factors of migration and displacement in Africa; ► Implications of migration and displacement in Africa.

This panel was moderated by Mrs. Michelle Ndiaye, Director, Africa Peace and Security Programme, Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS). Other panelists were: Dr. Chukwuemeka B. Eze, Director, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) Mr. Ernest Lartey, Head of Conflict and Security Program, Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Center (KAIPTC) and Dr. Marie-Paule Kodjo, President, ONG Playdoo-CI.

The panellists discussed the political economy that creates structural factors conducive to migration. Dating back to the slave trade and colonial history to the modern-day era of globalization and neoliberalism, the current imbalance in global trade relations is furthered by African elites who lack the political will to keep African resources and talents within the continent. They argued that, in order to reverse this trend, bilateral and multilateral relationships should focus on African ownership over the exploitation of resources and industrialization.

They went on to identify both push factors (such as unemployment, climate change, insecurity and armed conflict) and pull factors (such as political stability, favourable economic and climatic conditions and attractive migration policies) as key to regulating and managing migration efficiently. They further noted that, migration is a cross-cutting issue relevant to a majority of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to them, the main references to migration are found in Goal 8 and Goal 10, which aim to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth” and “reduce inequality within and among countries” respectively. They highlighted that Safe and free migration and movement greatly contributes to closing the widening inequality divide by abiding to the SDG principle of “leaving no one behind.”

In conclusion, they highlighted that, adhering to multilateral frameworks and implementing them at the national level is necessary to tackle push and pull factors in a holistic way. ‘’One example is the Multilateral Cooperation Agreement to Combat Child Trafficking in West Africa, adopted by 11 ECOWAS member states in 2005. In Côte d’Ivoire, this has translated into promising initiatives resulting from collaboration with CSOs, such as advocacy campaigns informing the youth on the risks of migration, programmes to support the return of migrants, and the introduction of new laws such as compulsory education. Furthermore, national efforts should be increasingly coordinated with neighbouring countries to find common approaches to migration. This requires strong political leadership and regional integration. While migration is often portrayed negatively, it is a natural phenomenon that brings benefits when adequately managed and organized’’, they stated.

They collectively emphasized that; civil society actors should highlight the positive aspects of migration in order to contribute to the development of new policies that support migrants’ contributions to society. The role of civil society organizations is to engage in advocacy, accountability and action. The CSO actors have the unique ability to equip citizens with the necessary knowledge to hold governments accountable for the use of their taxes, and to push for more inclusive exploitation of national resources. To allow CSOs to play these roles, states have the responsibility to make civic space more conducive. While CSOs are often associated with confrontation, activism and advocacy against government policies, they can also benefit from increased professionalization, clearer mandates, and closer collaboration with the state.

Finally, they said, in order to better engage with the government on migration issues, CSOs should use social media efficiently and constantly engage with the government’s online platforms.

The following sessions were also adequately covered during the forum:

• “Strategic Governance Approaches to Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons” moderated by Dr. Yonas Adaye Adeto, Director, Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) with Professor Ndioro Ndiaye, Advisor to President, Government of Senegal; Ms. Sophie Nonnemacher, Deputy Director, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Senegal and Dr Edem Selormey, Field Operations Manager, Afrobarometer as panelists focused on Unpacking what works and what does not? ► Continental level; ► Movement from outside into the continent (external); ► Movement from the continent outwards; ► Intra-inter country movements (internal).
• “Migration and Free Movement of People in the Nexus of Peace and Security” moderated by Mr. Komlan Messi, Director, West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) with Ms. Sophie Nonnemacher, Deputy Director, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Senegal Mrs. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, Institute for Economic Development (IDEP) and Mr. Abdourakhmane Wane, National Coordinator, Migration for Development Programme, GIZ as panelists focused on ► Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) and Free Movement of People: Opportunities and challenges; ► Free movement of people as a crucial element of continental integration (labour, security, socio-economic development, cultural, historical, youth, gender effects); ► Regional, country to country border and visa arrangements; ► Addressing the peace and security implications.
• “Migration, Peace and Security: What Role for CSOs?’’ moderated by Mr. Doudou Dia, Director, Gorée Institute with Mr. Ibrahima Aidara, Deputy Executive Director, Open Society Institute for West Africa Mr. Komlan Messi, Director, West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) Mr. François Traore, Democracy & Governance (Human Rights, IHL, Elections, Peace building, Security, Civil Society, Legislative Strengthening, Africa Development Bank and Mr. Koffi Dela Kepomey Fofo, Executive Director, National Concentration of Civil Society as panelists focused on ► What can CSOs offer? Involving CSOs as intermediaries between state, non-state, external actors and the general public in the formulation and implementation of public policies on regional integration, migration and free movement of people? ► CSOs’ experiences/best practices on the ground.
• ”Role of CSOs in the Security Agenda in Africa’’ moderated by Dr Chukwuemeka B. Eze, Director, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) with Mr. François Traore, Democracy & Governance (Human Rights, IHL, Elections, Peace building, Security, Civil Society, Legislative Strengthening) Africa Development Bank, Ms. Diago Diagne Ndiaye, President, ECOWAS Women’s Network and Mr. Koff Dela Kepomey Fofo, Executive Director, National Concentration Concertation Nationale de la Société Civile (CNSC) as panelists focused on ► Shaping partnerships and shared opportunities with CSOs and other stakeholders; ► Mapping out the ‘how’ to work together with CSOs and other stakeholders to shape security integration and increase impact/success; ► Practical operable recommendations for the AU, Member States, RECs/RMs and other stakeholders.

In the final session, the summary of outcomes and key takeaways were presented and adopted by the participants.

Outcomes of the forum:

• Civil society, government and development actors tend to work in silos, with government usually going to CSOs after making decisions, not before or during the decision-making process. More efforts towards policy dialogue are needed to achieve harmonious development.

• As actors at the grassroots level, civil society organizations are expected to monitor and advocate for the implementation of regional and international instruments agreed to by their governments. At the community level, CSOs have a key role to play – their proximity to local populations means they have access to critical information that decision makers can use, such as quantitative data on which areas need social services and gender disparities. Community dialogue facilitators have also been used to intervene in the prevention of conflict and violent extremism, and to strengthen social cohesion in communities.

• For women, migration is a means to increase their income, be empowered, and access an environment with less barriers to gender equality. However, female migrants are also exposed to intimidation, discrimination, sexual exploitation, xenophobia, and poor and unsafe work conditions. The gender dimension of migration and security should be fully acknowledged and addressed in policy discussions.

• Finally, regions seeing the most movement are not necessarily the most unstable; factors other than migration account for insecurity in those regions. CSOs have a comparative advantage to change the dominant media narrative about African migration, and they must strive to do so.

-End-

1. Download this Summary Notes in pdf
2. Download the Concept Note – English | French
3. Download the Agenda – English | French
4. Download the Forum Outcome Report – English | French

For more, visit the Forum website, here.