Morocco to Host 5th Annual Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development

Rabat- The 5th annual Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development will take place on May 2, in the ochre city Marrakech.

Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation reported in a Monday statement that the event will bring together ministers and high-level representatives from the European Union and Africa, to “rethink the dialogue and define its priorities for the period 2018-2020.”

The statement adds that the conference comes as part of the 2006 political commitments of partner countries from North, West, and Central Africa and Europe to build a comprehensive, concerted, and balanced approach on migration management.

This high-level conference, which is supported by the current Presidency of the Rabat, will see the adoption of the multi-annual cooperation program, the Marrakech Declaration and Plan of Action.  

This new program will extend the current strategic framework of the Rome Program by laying down the political guidelines for the coming years and the modalities of their implementation.

Key initiatives of the Plan of Action include promoting the developmental benefits of migration, while addressing the root causes of irregular migration and the phenomenon of displaced persons; promoting legal migration and mobility; strengthening protection and asylum; as well as fighting against irregular migration, smuggling, and human trafficking.

“Each partner country of the Rabat Process participating in the Ministerial Conference can commit to supporting one or more actions of the Marrakech Action Plan. The Rabat Process Secretariat provided by the International Center for Migration Policy Development will take note of all the commitments made and support their implementation according to identified needs,” the Moroccan ministry said.

The Conference places the Rabat Process within the global framework of migration to strengthen its role in monitoring the implementation of the Valletta Joint Action Plan (VAPP) and to ensure its compliance with the commitments taken by the partners of the Rabat Process at the 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration. In addition, the conference promotes participant adherence to the principles of solidarity, partnership, and shared responsibility in the joint management of migration issues in full respect of human rights.