IOM AND PARTNERS TO VALIDATE NATIONAL PLAN ON MIGRATION GOVERNANCE

By Morlai Sesay

The International Organization for Migration in collaboration with its partners is set to validate the nation plan on migration governance in Sierra Leone. This plan is designed to improve how Sierra Leone manages migration, aligning with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). The process involves several steps, including data collection, inter-ministerial consultations, and developing a monitoring and evaluation framework. Pauline Matharia, a representative from IOM noted that the plan aims to improve Sierra Leone's migration governance, encompassing policies, laws, and strategies, stressing that IOM is supporting the government in this process by providing technical expertise and resources.

Commenting on the area of partnerships, Matharia updated that the project is funded by the European Union and involves collaboration with various government ministries, departments, and agencies. She emphasized that the plan would be aligned with the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), which is a framework for international cooperation on migration and that the entire process would include launching the MGI (Migration Governance Indicators) process, collecting and analyzing data, holding inter-ministerial consultations, and developing a monitoring and evaluation framework.

The plan, she said, would acknowledges the need to address specific challenges and opportunities related to migration in Sierra Leone. Touching on the expected outcome, Matharia stated that the validation of the national plan is expected to lead to improved migration management and contribute to the well-being of migrants and society.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Mohamed J. Kargbo noted that the Global Compact for Migration is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, covering all dimensions of international migration. He asserted that it reflects a collective aspiration of the international community to foster cooperation and shared responsibility in addressing migration in all its forms challenges and opportunities alike. Following the national and regional consultative dialogues held earlier this year, he informed all present that the Draft National Global Compact for Migration (GCM) Implementation Plan (NIP) and the Draft National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) have been circulated for wider review, affirming that the documents represent a significant milestone in our national journey towards establishing a coordinated, rights-based, development-driven, and gender-responsive approach to migration governance.

He reiterated that the purpose of the meeting was not merely to review documents but rather to collectively reflect on the role of migration in Sierra Leone's development, to provide substantive feedback on the NIP and NCM, and to validate a shared vision for managing migration more effectively and coherently. Kargbo reaffirmed that migration has always been part of Sierra Leone's development story, both as a challenge and as a pathway to opportunity. The National GCM Implementation Plan, he noted, is vital because it aligns with the objectives of the Global Compact with the national development priorities, as outlined in the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024-2030. It provides a practical roadmap to achieve the 23 objectives of the GCM, with clear targets, measurable outcomes, and responsible institutions.

The establishment of a National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) is equally significant. The NCM will serve as the institutional platform for dialogue, coordination, and decision-making across sectors, involving government ministries, departments, agencies, development partners, civil society, diaspora actors, and the private sector. It will improve policy coherence, enhance inter-agency coordination, and promote evidence-based and inclusive migration governance.

Together, he emphasized that the NIP and the NCM will support flagship Government priorities under the MTNDP, particularly in the areas of human capital development, youth empowerment, employment generation, and urban transformation. Migration, he said, is deeply intertwined with Sierra Leone's human capital journey. Youth unemployment, rural-urban drift, the search for better livelihoods abroad, and the increasing threats of climate-induced displacement- all reflect gaps in the systems that migration governance must address.