Migration Dialogue for Central African States (MIDCAS)

Type: Regional consultative process on migration (region covered: Central Africa)

Formal association with regional or multi-stakeholder organization: Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

Established: 2012

Objectives

The Migration Dialogue for Central African States (MIDCAS) was formed by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), itself a part of the African Economic Community, with the objective of promoting the common interests of ECCAS member states to facilitate consultations and intra-regional cooperation on migration issues within the ECCAS region as well as with other AU regional economic communities (AU RECs).

MIDCAS was established in 2012, endorsed formally in 2014 and adopted by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in 2015. MIDCAS aims to develop a common position on migration among ECCAS Member States; promote experience and information sharing; identify priority issues on technical cooperation, capacity building and data collection.

Current Thematic Focus

Specific areas of MIDCAS’ discussion include:

• Assisted voluntary return and reintegration
• Combatting human trafficking
• Combatting migrant smuggling
• Irregular migration and mixed migration flows
• Labour migration, ethical recruitment, brain drain
• Migrant integration
• Migration and development
• Migration and environment
• Migration and security
• Migration and trade
• Migration data and research
• Migration health
• Protection of migrants' rights

Chairing Country

• Current Chair: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Secretariat

• The Secretariat is under discussion. The Secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States acts as an ad interim secretariat for MIDCAS. IOM has been invited to provide technical support to ECCAS.

Website

• No specific website for the MIDCAS, but see the website of ECCAS

Members

10 Member States

• Angola
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Chad
• Central African Republic
• Congo
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Gabon
• Equatorial Guinea
• São Tomé and Príncipe

Observers

• Observer States - Under discussions
• Observer Organizations - Under discussions

Meetings

• 24-25 May 2015, Chad, 16th Ordinary Session of the Head of States and Governments of ECCAS
• 21-22 November 2014, Meeting of the ECCAS Executive Council of Ministers
• July 2013 Brazzaville, Congo, ECCAS Task Force meeting
• 2012, Brazzaville, Congo, Meeting on inter-state and intra-regional cooperation on migration in central Africa to suggest establishing MIDCAS

Documents

• Recommendations for Establishing a Migration Dialogue for Central African States (MIDCAS)
• Final Communiqué of the 16th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of ECCAS Heads of States and Governments
• Decision No. 44/CEEAC/CCEG/XVI/15 Portant creation du Dialogue Inter-Etats sur la Migration (DIMAC) en Afrique Centrale
• Decision No. 45/CEEAC/CCEG/XVI/15 Portant approbation des Statuts, du Règlement Intérieur et de L'Organigramme du Dialogue Inter-Etats sur la Migration en Afrique centrale (DIMAC)

Related Links

• See printable map 
• ECCAS Website 
• ECCAS Rolls out MIDCAS Initiative

Contact information

ECCAS Secretariat
Haut de Guégué
BP 2112, Libreville, Gabon
Email: contact@ceeac-eccas.org

IOM Office in the Republic of the Congo
Angle of Avenue Foch and Rue Behagele
B.P. 465, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
E-mail: iomkinshasa@iom.int
http://www.drcongo.iom.int

Website

No specific website for the MIDCAS, but see the website of ECCAS: http://www.ceeac-eccas.org/index.php/en