Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – The Government of Ethiopia hosted a workshop on 18-19 February 2025 in Addis Ababa, bringing together 50 partners including ministries, regional migration coordination platforms, UN agencies, and NGOs, to outline concrete steps for the implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) in the country.

Organized by the National Partnership Coalition in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Network on Migration, the two-day event aimed to strengthen the capacity of government officials and other stakeholders in designing and developing Ethiopia’s GCM implementation plan. The discussions focused on Ethiopia’s migration governance framework, the role of partners, and the linkages between the GCM and Ethiopia’s six thematic working groups on migration, which cover data and research, awareness creation, diaspora engagement, protection, crime prevention and law enforcement, and overseas employment. Stakeholders also discussed potential priority areas and actions for the GCM National Implementation Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for Ethiopia’s next steps in fulfilling the promise of migration.

“The Government of Ethiopia is committed to implementing the GCM in a manner of addressing contemporary challenges and effectively utilizing opportunities,” said the State Minister of Justice, Belayhun Yirga. “The National Partnership Coalition led by Ministry of Justice, aims to achieve this by developing a comprehensive GCM National Implementation Plan with the support of IOM through a meaningful participation of stakeholders,” he added.

“As a GCM champion country, the Government of Ethiopia recognizes the opportunities this framework provides for its internal, regional and international policies,” says Abibatou Wane, IOM Ethiopia Chief of Mission. “Achieving redefined regional and international cooperation on migration is possible if the GCM objectives are effectively implemented and translated into Action,” she added. 

Ethiopia has long been a key migration hub in the Horn of Africa, experiencing complex migration dynamics that include cross-border movements, internal displacement, labour migration, and return migration. As a country of origin, transit, and destination, Ethiopia faces migration challenges but also opportunities to harness the potential of migration for the benefits of  both host communities and communities of origin. Recognizing this, Ethiopia has taken proactive steps in migration governance, including adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach and selecting ten priority GCM objectives aligned with national policies and development goals. These objectives focus on areas such as data collection, minimizing adverse drivers, expanding regular migration pathways, countering smuggling and trafficking, strengthening the management of borders, ensuring access to basic services, promoting skills development and recognition, supporting dignified return and reintegration, and enhancing international cooperation.

The workshop was organized with financial support from the European Union which is supporting a whole route approach by assisting Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda in implementing the Global Compact for Migration.

For more information, please contact Aïssatou SY, IOM Ethiopia Media and Communications Officer, aisy@iom.int