Ghana holds national consultation on Global Compact on Migration
01 December 2020
The meeting is in preparation for the submission of Ghana's voluntary national review of the Global Compact for Migration implementation
The meeting is the first National Consultation on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) implementation and aims to determine Ghana’s priorities for the next Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF) from 2022-2025, and to discuss Ghana’s commitments on migration within the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+25) Programme of Action.
It was organised by the National Development Planning Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and coincides with the release of the United Nations Secretary-General's report on progress of GCM implementation.
In a statement delivered on behalf of Dr. Kodjo Esseim Mensah Abrampah, Director-General of NDPC, Mary Mpereh, Chief Analyst Population, Gender and Migration, stated that Ghana has signed unto the GCM, and committed to prepare and submit its voluntary national review. He added that NDPC is integrating Ghana’s regional, continental and international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Beijing Platform for Action, ICPD+25 and the GCM, among others, into the country’s national development policy frameworks and is coordinating their implementation, monitoring and evaluation in tandem with the various reporting mechanisms.
The GCM was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2018 and is the first comprehensive global framework to enhance international cooperation on migration governance. Its 23 objectives cover migration management in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
In the recently published UN Secretary-General (SG) Report “From Promise to Action: The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”, the SG emphasizes that the GCM is a testament to our growing understanding of the power of migration: inevitable, undeniably beneficial but capable of generating challenges to migrants and communities if not well-governed. The GCM is aligned to regional migration agendas, including the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) Free Movement Protocols and the African Union Migration Policy Framework. It is also complementary to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The 2030 Agenda includes a pledge to ‘leave no one behind’, and to endeavour to reach the furthest behind first. Many SDG targets can only be fully achieved if migration and migrants are considered. Enhancing migration governance through the implementation of the GCM will be essential, and thus we look forward to continuing our partnership in this effort,” said Charles Abani, UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana.
To support the implementation, follow-up and review of the GCM, the UN Resident Coordinator and IOM established the UN Network on Migration (UNNM) in Ghana to provide facilitate effective, timely and coordinated UN-system-wide support. To increase advocacy and ownership on the GCM, 18 countries have volunteered to be champion countries, including Ghana.
“IOM and the UNNM are committed to continually support the Government of Ghana in the GCM process as it seeks to harness the development potential inherent in migration. During these trying times, the GCM provides an effective framework for the governance of international migration in all its dimensions, which can be leveraged by states to respond to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Abibatou Wane-Fall, IOM Ghana Chief of Mission.
The meeting brought together a variety of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, including the NDPC; Ministry of the Interior; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana; UNNM; civil society organizations; and the media.
UN entities involved in this initiative
ILO
International Labour Organization
IOM
International Organization for Migration
OHCHR
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNAIDS
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNCDF
United Nations Capital Development Fund
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization