The recommendations included agreement on strengthening coordination among Southern African states on managing migration; encouraging ratification of the Protocol on the Facilitation of the Movement of Persons aimed at eliminating obstacles to the free movement of people in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries; promoting legal labour mobility and opportunities; raising public awareness regarding the risks of irregular migration and engaging diasporas in national development strategies.
Participants noted that improving the collection, analysis, dissemination and harmonization of migration data was essential to enhancing migration management processes and that ensuring application of this data at the policy level will require significant capacity building efforts at the national and regional levels.
Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, attending the conference, emphasized that managing migration "…requires a paradigm shift away from viewing migration as a negative phenomenon to be combated, to a positive process that can lead to the development of the national and regional economy."
Among the participants was IOM Director General William Lacy Swing, who told ministers and officials present that: "IOM will continue to pursue the integration of MIDSA recommendations into SADC fora and programmes. Beyond this, IOM stands ready to assist in taking this consultative process forward in whatever capacity member states shall entrust to us or consider to be appropriate."
The MIDSA forum was established by SADC Member States in 2000 with the assistance of IOM and other international partners, to support mechanisms for regional migration and cross-border cooperation.
The MIDSA conference for Permanent Secretaries and Senior Officials will be held annually with a Ministerial level conference to be held every other year.
For more information, contact:
Puseletso Mompei
Cell: +27 7168 999 66
E-mail: pmompei@iom.int