INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP)
The Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP) is a long-term joint initiative of the African Union, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in coordination with relevant partners operating on the African continent, development cooperation actors, private sector organisations and civil society organisations (CSOs). It is dedicated to the implementation of the 5th Key Priority Area of the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development, adopted by the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments in January 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The strategy focuses on intra-African labour migration and supports achievements of the First 2023 Ten Year Plan of the AU Agenda 2063 and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The JLMP is a critical instrument of implementing the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) and its Plan of Action (2018-2030) mentioned in the previous section.
Between 2021-2024, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)-funded Catalytic Actions for the AU-ILO-IOM-UNECA Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration in Africa (JLMP Action) will be implemented as part of the JLMP programme. JLMP Action aims to contribute to the JLMP objective of strengthening the effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility for enhanced sustainable development, inclusive economic growth and regional integration of the African Continent.
The expected outcomes of the project are:
- Outcome 1: Strengthened effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility for women and men migrant workers in Africa.
- Outcome 2: Women and men migrant workers in both the formal and informal sectors enjoy safe and secure working environments, access to social protection and mutual recognition of skills and educational levels.
- Outcome 3: Increased utilization of labour migration disaggregated data and statistics by MS and RECs for evidenced based decision-making, policy planning, formulation and application.
- Outcome 4: Strengthened governance and accountability of the JLMP.
A Practical Guide for a State-led Gender-Responsive Reporting Mechanisms for Migrant Workers
The Practical Guide is primarily informed by the findings of the Assessment Report: Gaps and Challenges faced by Men and Women Migrant Workers when Accessing Justice and Reporting Mechanisms across five JLMP Action priority Member States (MS), namely Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Malawi and Morocco, and presents a process created for stakeholders of MS of the African Union (AU) such as government bodies, recruitment agencies, and local organisations working in the field of labour migration. Regional Economic Communities (RECs) can also draw from this Practical Guide on a regional level.
Moreover, this guide has been informed by and aligned with the main standard setting documents and frameworks on the subject, such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, AU Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers and the AU Guidelines on Developing Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs), as well as the African Union’s Migration Policy Framework for Africa (AU MPFA 2018-2030) and the United Nation's Guiding principles on business and human rights.
This Practical Guide builds upon qualitative and empirical research conducted across the five JLMP Action priority Member States (MS) mentioned above, in which a diverse range of women, men, formal and informal migrant workers, as well as key informants from government bodies, international organisations and non-governmental organisations, shared their experiences with regard to accessing reporting mechanisms and pathways to access to justice. In addition, a virtual consultative meeting was held on May 24, 2023 to for the five JLMP priority MS to discuss the draft Assessment Report and Practical Guide on Gender Access to Justice and Complaint Mechanisms for Migrant Workers.
This Practical Guide offers instructions and a step-by-step process to develop a State-led accessible, rights-based and gender-responsive reporting mechanism for women and men migrant workers. It provides clear instructions for concerned State authorities to understand how to set up and run a State-led reporting mechanism that is gender-responsive and maximizes safety and effectiveness.
The aim is to:
- Strengthen a comprehensive and gender-responsive access to reporting mechanisms for migrant workers
- Address gender gaps in accessing reporting mechanisms
- Build the capacity of relevant State actors
- Improve communication and collaboration between involved stakeholders
- Address the gap in referral mechanisms
- Strengthen regional and bilateral agreements to facilitate migrants' access to justice and reporting mechanism in both countries of origin and destination