ADDIS ABABA - The 5th Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration convened in Addis Ababa, emphasizing the urgent need to refine labor migration policies to establish secure pathways for young labor migrants in the East and Horn of Africa. The event, which opened today, aims to foster discussions on creating safer, more regulated migration routes that could benefit youth employment, skills development, and the green economy within the region.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the event is being led by key figures including Labor and Skills State Minister Daniel Teressa and Abibatou Wane Fall, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ethiopia Chief of Mission, alongside representatives from the African Union. The four-day forum operates under the theme "Harnessing the power of regular migration pathways for youth employment, skills development, and green economy," focusing on strategic approaches to facilitate safe and lawful labor migration corridors for the region's youth.
The forum's deliberations highlight the significance of the East and Horn of Africa as a youthful region, home to nearly 60 million individuals aged between 15 and 24 years out of an estimated population of 170 million. This demographic dynamic is part of a broader pattern across Sub-Saharan Africa, which boasts the highest proportion of young people globally, with approximately 70 percent of its population under the age of 30, as noted in the United Nations' World Youth Report 2023.
Amidst a backdrop of considerable labor migration, the forum seeks to explore how enhanced regional integration can maximize human mobility's benefits in the East and Horn of Africa, a region that houses 8.5 million international migrants, including 4.7 million labor migrants. Discussions will cover a range of topics, including the collaboration with diaspora communities to safeguard migrant workers' social, economic, labor, and human rights in their host countries, as well as the formation of Technical Working Groups (TWGs) focused on skills, job creation, youth employment, and the intersection of human mobility with green economy initiatives amidst climate change.
The Ministry of Labor and Skills, in partnership with the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), organized the regional ministerial forum. It features participation from 11 member states across the Eastern and Horn of Africa, underscoring a collective commitment to addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by labor migration in the region.