strategic vision

Type: Interregional forum on migration (regions covered: Horn of Africa and Europe)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: African Union Commission (AUC) and European Commission (EC)

Established: 2014

Objectives

The Khartoum Process, primarily focused on addressing the challenges of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, is an established regional dialogue for enhanced cooperation on migration and mobility and regional collaboration between countries of origin, transit and destination on the migration routes between the Horn of Africa and the European Union (EU). 

Khartoum Process Member States work to:

  1. Create a framework for policy and dialogue;
  2. Share knowledge and experiences to strengthen cooperation with the support of international organizations like ICMPD, IOM, UNHCR, and UNODC; and
  3. Seek funding opportunities and facilitate resource mobilization to support concrete projects. 

At the Valletta Summit on Mmigration on 11-12 November 2015, the Khartoum Process has been mandated to monitor the implementation of the initiatives and actions under the Valletta Action Plan, together with the Rabat Process .

Background

On the African Union side, the efforts against smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings are guided by the African Union Migration Policy Framework for Africa , the Ouagadougou Action Plan and the AU Commission Initiative against Trafficking . The African Union endorsed the AU Horn of Africa Initiative (AU-HOAI) on human trafficking and smuggling of migrants by AU Assembly Declaration ( Assembly / AU / Dec.6 (XXV)) on Migration ) in June 2015. 

On the European Union side, the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) published in 2011 laid the grounds for establishing a regional dialogue and cooperation process in the Horn of Africa / East Africa. The fight against migrant smuggling has been part of EU policies tackling irregular migration for more than a decade. In 2002, the EU adopted a legal framework on smuggling, composed of a Directive defining the facilitation of unauthorized entry, transit and residence and a Framework Decision strengthening the penal framework for these offenses.In May 2015, the Commission adopted an EU Action Plan against Migrant Smuggling designed to transform smuggling from a 'high profit, low risk' activity into a 'high risk, low profit' business, while ensuring the full respect and protection of migrants' human rights. EU actions to fight criminal networks of smugglers are a way to prevent the exploitation of migrants by criminals and to act as a disincentive to irregular migration. The European Commission's approach to trafficking in human beings begins from a gender and human rights perspective and focuses on prevention, prosecution of criminals and protection of victims. This is reflected in 21 March 2011EC Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision , 2012 EU Strategy towards the eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings and 2005 EU Action Plan on best practices, standards and procedures for combating and preventing trafficking in human beings . Additionally, the Khartoum Process is anchored in the EU-Africa Action Plan on Migration and Mobility 2014-2017 . 

Current Thematic Focus

As per the Rome Declaration, the thematic focus of the Khartoum Process is preventing and tackling the challenges of:

  • Tafficking in human beings
  • Smuggling of migrants

In the past few years, the Process has witnessed an expansion of its thematic focus, to systematically address the five pillars of the Joint Valletta Action Plan (JVAP):

  • Development benefits of migration and addressing root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement;
  • Legal migration and mobility;
  • Protection and asylum;
  • Prevention of and fight against irregular migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings; and
  • Return, readmission and reintegration.

The Process also acts as a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the JVAP.

Chairing Country

Current Chair:   South Sudan (since March 2022)
Past chairs: the Netherlands (2020- March 2022); Eritrea (2019), Italy (2018), Ethiopia (2017) , United Kingdom (2016) . The first chairmanship at the establishment of the Process was Egypt in 2015. 

Steering Committee

The Khartoum Process is led by a Steering Committee comprised of five EU Member States (Italy, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden), five African countries (Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan), the European Commission, the European External Action Service and the African Union Commission. 

Secretariat

The Secretariat is jointly managed by the African Union Commission and the European Commission , with substantive technical and logistical assistance provided by the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) through the EU-funded “ Support to the Africa-EU-Africa Migration and Mobility Dialogue (MMD) ”Program. The first phase of program (MMD1) ran from 2014 to 2019 and its second phase is currently ongoing until 2022, building on the results and achievements of MMD1.

Members

Member States (40 States, thereof 29 European countries and 11 African countries)

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Egypt
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Eritrea
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Kenya
  • Latvia
  • Libya
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovak
  • Slovenia
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Spain
  • Sudan
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Tunisia
  • Uganda

Past Member States:

  • United Kingdom

 

* Note: The UK has withdrawn from the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020 and is no longer a Member State of the EU.

Note: Founding Members: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia and United Kingdom.

Observers

Observer Organizations (referred by the Khartoum Process as “Cooperating organizations”)

Meetings

More information on past Khartoum Process meetings is available here

Documents

More documents are available at https://www.khartoumprocess.net/resources/library/reference 

Related links
Contact information

Website
https://www.khartoumprocess.net