South Africa - The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and IOM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week (17/11) in Gaborone, Botswana. The MoU provides a framework for cooperation between the two organisations in the area of migration in the Southern African region.

“The signing of this MoU will develop and strengthen IOM’s collaboration with SADC vis-à-vis issues of common concern, such as economic and social development through migration and respect of human rights of migrants,” said Josiah Ogina, IOM’s Director for Southern Africa. Ogina visited the SADC headquarters in Botswana to sign the MoU with SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax.

It is estimated that 21 million of the world’s 244 million migrants are in Africa. More than 3 million migrants are in Southern Africa, a region characterised by mixed and irregular migration, labour migration and displacement due to conflicts and natural disasters. 

Due to its relative economic development compared to the rest of the continent, Southern Africa attracts migrants looking for work in the mining, agricultural and manufacturing industries. The region is also a springboard for regular and irregular migration to Europe and the Americas. 

Through the MoU, SADC and IOM agree to cooperate in 11 key areas: labour migration; counter trafficking; combating smuggling of migrants and irregular migration; addressing mixed migration; migration health; immigration and border management; technical assistance; return and reintegration of migrant workers and other vulnerable migrants; poverty reduction; promotion of economic growth and support for human development as well as emergency response; disaster risk management and reduction.

The two organizations will also facilitate cooperation and dialogue with relevant stakeholders on national and regional migration policies, and will mobilize resources jointly for collaborative programmes and projects.

For further information please contact Chiara Frisone at the IOM Regional Office for Southern Africa, Tel. +27 72 664 8003, Email: cfrisone@iom.int