Royal Activities
Tuesday 30 January 2018

HM the King Suggests Setting up of African Migration Observatory and Creation of Post of AU Special Envoy for Migration

HM the King Suggests Setting up of African Migration Observatory and Creation of Post of AU Special Envoy for Migration

HM King Mohammed VI has suggested, in the framework of the African Agenda on Migration, to set up an African Migration Observatory and to create a post of AU Special Envoy for Migration.

The mission of the African Migration Observatory, whose terms of reference would be the triad “Understand, Anticipate, Act”, would be to develop observation and the exchange of information between African countries in order to promote controlled management of migration flows, the Sovereign explained in a message which was read out on Monday in Addis Ababa by Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani.

"My country proposes that this Observatory be based in Morocco," the Sovereign added.

As for the post of AU Special Envoy for Migration, the post holder would be tasked with coordinating AU policies in this area, HM the King said.

"The African Agenda on Migration proposes an approach based on national policies, sub-regional coordination, a continental vision and international partnership," the monarch underlined in the message, noting that "this presupposes a paradigm shift, an introspective and positive redefinition of migration as well as genuine political will on the part of States, which all have a vested interest in making sure migration is safe, legal and orderly, seeing to it that human rights are respected."

The African Agenda on Migration can inform the process of developing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the Sovereign noted, adding that this Agenda should seek to make migration a lever for co-development, a pillar of South-South Cooperation and an instrument of solidarity.

In this regard, the Sovereign said that Morocco, which will be hosting the Intergovernmental Conference, that is to adopt the Global Compact, and the Global Forum for Migration and Development, in December 2018, pledges to make these multilateral meetings a platform for Africa.

The African Agenda on Migration is based on the idea that we need to know the full range of dimensions involved in the migration phenomenon in order to understand it properly, HM the King said, adding that the time has come to deconstruct, one by one, the myths associated with migration.

Migration is a natural phenomenon which is part of the solution, not of the problem, the Sovereign underlined, noting that "we should adopt a positive stance on the issue of migration by highlighting the humanistic rationale of shared responsibility and solidarity."

Migration, a global issue – one that is crucial for our continent, "deserves a fresh, Africa-centered approach combining realism, tolerance and a commitment to make reason prevail over fear," HM the King said.

-MAP-29/01/18