Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (Rabat Process)

Type: Inter-regional forum on migration (regions covered: Africa -Europe)

Established: 2006

Objectives

The Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (Rabat Process) brings together European and African countries from North, West and Central Africa, as well as the European Commission (EC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with a view to tackling questions arising from migration issues. The Rabat Process provides a framework for consultation and coordination; contributes to meeting the challenges posed by migration; and encourages opportunities for exchange and development. 

Current Thematic Focus

The 6th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, held on 13-14 December 2022, defined the multi-annual cooperation programme of the Rabat Process for the period of 2023-2027, as the "Cadiz Political Declaration and Action Plan 20232-2027". The Cadiz Programme is a non-binding cooperation framework that helps coordinate national efforts in the area of migration management and shapes the focus and priorities of the Rabat Process and its partner countries.

The Cadiz Action Plan addresses 5 action areas, containing 10 specific objectives and 29 related actions. The Cadiz Programme maintains continuity while adapting its objectives and actions to the evolved international context. It also pays attention to ensuring complementarity and synergies with other frameworks, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.

Area 1: Development benefits of migration / Root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement

1. Maximise the positive impact of regular migration (+3 actions)

2. Understand the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement (+2 actions)

Area 2: Regular migration and mobility 

3. Promote regular migration & mobility (especially young people, women) (+5 actions)

4. Encourage facilitation of visa issuance procedures (+2 actions)

Area 3: Protection and asylum 

5a. Enhance the protection of refugees and the forcibly displaced (+3 actions)

5b. Promote actions to respect the dignity and the human rights of migrants (+2 actions)

6. Promote the integration of refugees and the forcibly displaced into host communities (+2 actions)

Area 4: Irregular migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings (THB) 

7. Strengthen capacities for border management and combating migrant smuggling and THB (+3 actions)

8. Improve the protection of smuggled migrants, persons in need of international protection, and victims of THB (+3 actions)

Area 5: Return, readmission and reintegration 

9. Strengthen capacities for identification processes and the issuance of travel documents (+2 actions)

10. Encourage programmes for the safe return and sustainable reintegration of migrants (+2 actions)

The Network of Focal Points

Each national administration and organization involved in the Rabat Process is represented by a Focal Point. These contact points share their knowledge at the dialogue meetings or identify national experts to do so in order to always ensure their country's high quality technical inputs to these meetings. The network of focal points is the backbone of the Rabat Process and contributes significantly to the continuing success of the dialogue. 

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is the strategic governing body of the Rabat Process. Its role is to stimulate cooperation between participating States, to prepare the political orientation of the dialogue and to follow up on the implementation of the ministerial declarations. It included five African countries (Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco and Senegal) and five European countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain), as well as the European Commission and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS ). The Steering Committee guides the dialogue according to its “Operating Modalities” and the priorities established at the different levels of dialogue. 

Reference Countries

A system of reference countries partners to volunteer to coordinate and undertake activities within a particular domain of the Marrakesh Action Plan , in collaboration with other reference countries. This system enables countries to take ownership of the Marrakesh Action Plan, promotes coordination between partner countries and strengthens the geographical balance and representation of all interests.  

Current reference countries:

• Domain 1: Nigeria 
• Domain 2: Cabo Verde and Portugal
• Domain 3: Switzerland
• Domain 4: Ivory Coast, Niger and Spain
• Domain 5: Cameroon and Togo

For more information, visit the Rabat Process website .

The Chair

The Steering Committee is presided by its Chair who is also the Rabat Process Chair. The chair rotates periodically between the African and European members of the Steering Committee, which contributes to the dialogue's balanced governance. The purpose and duty of the chair is to contribute to the advancement of the dialogue, foster ownership, and maintain the momentum created at dialogue meetings.

A rotating Chair system is in place, whereby the Chair alternates between African and European member States of the Steering Committee.

-Current Chair: Morocco (2022-2023)
-Past Chairs: Spain (2021-2022), Equatorial Guinea (2021), France (2019-2020), Burkina Faso (2018), Belgium (2017), Mali (2016)

Secretariat

The Secretariat was established to facilitate the dialogue process and generally focuses on three areas:

• Support to the dialogue via the organization of meetings and the development of communication tools
• Coordination, knowledge management, sharing of good practices among the dialogue partners
• Additional activities aimed at building the capacities of partner countries to support the implementation of the objectives set in the dialogue strategic framework

The Secretariat is currently funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in the framework of the project “Support to Africa-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue (MMD)”. The current cycle is the fifth phase of the Support Project and covers the period 2018-2020. 

Members

Member Countries

Rabat Process refers the countries as “Partners” (57 Countries including: 26 African Countries, 29 European Countries and 2 Observer African countries)

• Austria
• Belgium
• Benin
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Cabo Verde
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Congo
• Cote d‘Ivoire
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Guinea
• Guinea Equatorial
• Guinea-Bissau
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liberia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Mali
• Malta
• Mauritania
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Republic of Cyprus
• Romania
• Sao Tomé and Principe
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Togo
• Tunisia

   

  Member Organizations 

  [Rabat Process refers to these as “Partner Oorganizations”] (2 organizations)

  -The European Union (EU)

  -Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

 

Chairing country

A rotating Chair system is in place whereby the Chair alternates between African and European member States of the Steering Committee.
Current Chair: Morocco (2022-2023)
Past Chairs: Spain (2021-2022) Equatorial Guinea (2021), France (2019-2020), Burkina Faso (2018), Belgium (2017), Mali (2016)

Observers

Observer Countries (2 countries) 

• Algeria
• Lybia

Permanent Observer Organizations (4 Organizations) 

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

Related Links

• Inter-State Consultation Mechanisms on Migration
• Inter-Regional Forums on Migration (IRFs)
• Regional consultative processes on migration (RCPs) 
• Global Processes on Migration 
• Online Repository of ISCM Materials
• Global ISCM Meeting (GRCP)
• ISCMs, Policy Dialogue on Migration and Migration Governance