Two high-level side events held in Addis Ababa highlight African-led efforts to operationalise migration frameworks and promote regional integration.
On the sidelines of the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Specialised Technical Committee on Migration, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the AU and other international partners, convened two high-level side events to advance migration governance and promote free movement across the continent. The events took place in Addis Ababa from 10 to 14 November 2025.
Both events were organised with support from the Africa–EU Continent-to-Continent Migration and Mobility Dialogue (C2CMMD), under the EU-funded Migration and Mobility Dialogue Support Programme.
Strengthening institutional capacity through new training manuals
Migration in Africa: Myths and Realities
In a jointly organised side event, the AUC and ICMPD launched two new Migration Governance Training Manuals: Making Migration Work for Africa and Migration in Africa: Myths and Realities.
Developed under the AU’s Migration Governance Training Programme, the manuals complement the Handbook for Trainers on Migration Governance, produced with support from the German Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Together, these resources form a comprehensive training package for policymakers, diplomats, media practitioners and communicators. They offer practical, evidence-based guidance to support informed, people-centred approaches to migration. Available in English and French, the materials were developed by African migration experts and are designed to support implementation of the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (2018–2030).
Speakers from the AU, EU and ICMPD underlined that building institutional capacity is essential to ensuring that migration contributes to sustainable development, regional integration and social cohesion.
Advancing free movement through evidence-based policy
Opportunities and Challenges for the Implementation and Popularisation of the AU Free Movement Protocol
The second side event, the African Diplomatic Indaba Dialogue on Free Movement of Persons in Africa, marked the launch of a new study on the Opportunities and Challenges for the Implementation and Popularisation of the AU Free Movement Protocol. Supported by GIZ and ICMPD, the study was developed under the C2CMMD Dialogue.
Published in English, French and Arabic, the study provides a timely evidence base for AU Member States seeking to accelerate ratification and implementation of the Free Movement Protocol.
It identifies key barriers to free movement, including administrative bottlenecks, security concerns and capacity limitations, while highlighting opportunities to strengthen coordination, raise public awareness and improve institutional interoperability.
The findings reaffirm that free movement is a structured, rules-based process that complements the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and contributes to the objectives of Agenda 2063.
A shared commitment to action
Across both events, representatives from the AU, EU and ICMPD reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation, empowering institutions and translating continental frameworks into tangible, sustainable action.
ICMPD reaffirmed its support for African-led initiatives and its continued collaboration with the AU, its Member States and international partners to advance migration governance and mobility under the C2CMMD Dialogue and beyond.
