By NDUBI MVULA –
THE theme for the second intra-regional forum on migration in Africa is “Fostering Regional Integration: Facilitating Trade and Human Mobility through Enhanced Border Management”.
This conference which started yesterday Lusaka will end tomorrow.
It has been noted that African governments recognise the need for organised and well managed migration in order to enhance the role that migrants are capable of making to inclusive growth and the sustainable economic, social and cultural development of countries of origin, transit and destination.
Migration and human mobility are included in four of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, placing well managed migration at the forefront of regional and global agendas.
The most salient reference to migration is a target on “facilitating orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.”
This target creates greater impetus for governments to adopt comprehensive migration policies.
It is further noted that effective border management through a holistic approach, aims to protect the integrity and security of the State as well as that of the migrants.
To achieve this, it is appreciated that bilateral and multilateral approaches are required for states to effectively manage borders so that international boundaries remain open and enable the mobility of persons within existing free movement regimes, while protecting integrity and security of the State and the safety of those that move.
The forum further notes that effective border management facilitates the movements of persons, goods and services, thus boosting intra/inter Africa trade, as a central vector of inclusive economic growth.
Also on the cards is that border management, embedded within a migration management approach, needs to form part of national agendas which in turn are framed within the broader Africa Union (AU) development agenda towards regional economic integration.
According to the programme schedule, the overall objective of the pan African forum is to contribute to the implementation of the AU Africa’s common position on migration and development, adopted in Banjul, Gambia in 2006.
The specific objective of the Lusaka meeting is to contribute to enhancing capacities of African institutions to facilitate intra-regional migration, human mobility and free movement of goods and services through improved integrated border management in response to AU decisions, policies and declarations on migration and development in Africa.
The main objective of the three-day meeting is to share experiences, lessons, good practices and strategies on removing barriers to human mobility and trade in order to boost intra-Africa trade.
However, the meeting will advocate for the facilitation of intra-regional human mobility within Africa through enhanced border management and make recommendations for consideration and adoption by the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) for implementation by member states.
The AU and RECs can play a very important role to place migrants in the broader context of African development.
It is in the view of this that the second intra-regional forum on migration in Africa is being convened.
It will bring together stakeholders, particularly the Regional Consultative Processes (RCPs) of the RECs from across the continent, regions and sectors as well as countries of origin, transit and destinations to share their experiences, knowledge, and good practices for common understanding and coherence in finding common and durable solutions to pressing migration concerns.
It is noted that conflicts, poverty, poor governance, unemployment, lack of opportunities and environmental factors are among the underlying causes and drivers of migration.
And to effectively manage migration, the root causes need to be addressed.
Governments also recognise the continuing threat of irregular migration and acknowledge that these movements occur mostly within and from the continent in a context still marked by the inadequacy of institutional capacities of governments to address the challenges individually and collectively.
Consequently, African governments and the RECs have stepped up efforts to provide a comprehensive and balanced approach to migration that takes into account the realities of migration and current trends as well as linkages between migration and other key economic, social, political, economic, environmental and humanitarian issues.
Subsequently, in 2006, the AU adopted the Africa Common Position on Migration and Development in Banjul, Gambia as a broad African consensus on issues of migration and development.
The African Common Position on Migration and Development underscored that African inter-state cooperation and dialogue can strengthen the capacity of states in migration management.
It is noted that within the framework of its adoption, the Executive Council requested the AU Commission (AUC), in collaboration with International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and other partners, to coordinate and advocate for the implementation of the African Common Position on Migration and Development.
In this regard, the AUC, IOM and relevant partners have instituted an annual forum of all the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and their respective Regional Consultative Processes (RCPs); as a platform for an all-inclusive, open, balanced and comprehensive dialogue on migration issues by government officials, partners and relevant stakeholder in an informal and non-binding setting.
The forum provides a platform for the exchange of information, knowledge, sharing of experiences and good practices for cross-fertilisation and to advocate for the implementation of AU policies, decisions and commitments made by African governments.
Following the Kigali Roundtable, the first intra-regional forum on migration in Africa, was held in Accra, Ghana in September 2015, with particular focus on addressing the root causes of irregular migration in Africa.
The rationale of the inter-regional trade, in particular small scale and informal cross border traders is that they play an important part of economic growth in the African continent.
The obstacles to free movement of persons, goods and services have had a negative impact on the level of trade in Africa.
Over the past decade, intra-African trade averaged 10–12 per cent while the average was 40 per cent in the Americas, 40 per cent in Asia and 63 per cent in Western-Europe where free movement of persons, goods and services are facilitated.
Against this backdrop, the Lusaka forum will seek to address linkages between effective border management, regional and continental trade agendas, with emphasis on facilitating free movement of persons, goods and services.
Being the second, the Lusaka forum, it is expected to address the protection dimensions of cross-border mobility focusing on asylum seekers and refugees as well as other vulnerable migrants including women and children.
The Lusaka forum will also complement and maximise the synergies between other continental initiatives, such as the establishment of One Stop Border Posts (OSBP).
The development of the OSBP, as a single facility that combines two stops for national border control in a shared space is a concept that is being promoted throughout the continent by the AU and by the respective RECs.
OSBPs are being put into place to boost trade facilitation across borders, requiring the harmonisation of procedures and operations at the border and the One Stop Border Post Source, a Manual on how to establish and implement OPSP, is expected to be launched this year by JICA, DFID and IOM.
Nevertheless, the Forum will focus on the four key issues which are migration and security (border management) migration and trade (OSBP); Regional Integration (Cross-border trade and  mobility) and migration and human rights (health and gender issues).
The three-day forum will make recommendations for consideration by the AU and the RECs at its next Ordinary Session in June 2016.
The Lusaka forum is expected to provide new impetus for the implementation of the AU Assembly Declaration on Migration adopted at its 25th Ordinary Session in Johannesburg in June 2015 and a documentary film on cross-border trade and cross-border mobility in the context of OSBPs.
It is also expected to provide a continental platform on migration established to share information and experiences and to advocate for the implementation of the decisions and commitments made by the AU
Executive Council and Assembly at the national and regional level.
It is expected to provide solidarity and partnerships created to expand bilateral and regional (RECs) arrangements for consular and reciprocal entry visa requirements for nationals and citizens of RECs.
The forum looks at creating a common understanding and coherence established to maximize the development benefits of migration and the linkages between migration, human mobility, trade and integrated border management (OSBP) to underpin regional economic integration.
Increase in visibility and awareness regarding the draft African Union Border Programme (AUBP) draft Strategy on Border Management and synergies with other policy domains at the continental level is expected to be one of the outcomes.
The intra-regional forum on migration in Africa is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the IOM and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Partners who contribute to the annual event are co-opted as co-sponsors.
The Lusaka forum is co-organised by the Zambia Government, AU, COMESA and IOM with co-sponsorship by ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC, UNHCR and UNFPA.
Six senior officials and experts from the ministries of trade, foreign affairs  and  regional integration, home affairs (immigration), labour, economic planning (customs and excise), gender and youth from member states of each of the eight RECs.
These include; CEN-SAD, COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, UMA and SADC as well as resource persons from the academia, the United Nations (UN) and international organisations, civil society, private sector, Diaspora and partners from countries of transit and destination are expected to be in attendance.
Participants will also include officials and experts from the AUC, RECs, AU member states, UN agencies and international organisations notably; AfDB, World Bank, Interpol, IATA, African Airlines
Association (AFFRA), UNCTAD,  League of Arab States (LAS), African Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC), development partners and other co-sponsors.
Resources persons are expected from key partners including the COMESA Business Council, the Cross Border Traders, Academia, Trademark East Africa, Africa Capacity Building Centre (ACBC), civil society, private sector, Diaspora, parliamentarians and development partners.
After all is said and done, it is expected that the matter of migration will harmonised by all players so that people can travel freely without any huddles.