ILO's support in East African summit yields commitments for improved refugee inclusion
Member States of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) came together to sign the Munyonyo Declaration, committing to durable solutions for refugees in the East and Horn of Africa region. ILO PROSPECTS programme's contributions have paved the way for practical and inclusive approaches to education, employment, and social protection.
17 July 2023
The Ministers responsible for Refugee Affairs from the Member States of IGAD and EAC at High-Level Ministerial Conference in Uganda ©ILO/IGAD Secretariat
Kampala, UGANDA (ILO News) - On June 16, 2023, the Ministers responsible for Refugee Affairs from the Member States of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) signed a Munyonyo Declaration on Sustainable Solutions for Refugees in the East and Horn of Africa.
ILO’s technical inputs to this declaration were guided by two key frameworks; the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation (No. 205), a key instrument that provides guidance to ILO constituents – representatives of governments and of employers’ and workers’ organizations – in addressing world-of-work issues in crisis situations and; and Guiding Principles on the access of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons to the labour market, a set of voluntary, non-binding principles rooted in relevant international labour standards and universal human rights instruments, and inspired by good practices implemented in the field.
Also, learnings from the ILO PROSPECTS programme and knowledge and experiences sharing from ILO staff, constituents and partners provided practical and sustainable solutions for improving education, employment and social protection for both hosts and refugee communities.
The conference was hosted by the Government of Uganda from 13-16 June 2023 in Munyonyo, Kampala. Attended by international and regional partners, this summit witnessed Member States committing to collaborate in tackling the fundamental causes and factors driving forced displacement in the IGAD and EAC regions.
Jealous Chirove, Country Director for the ILO East Africa, said, “Through the PROSPECTS Partnership, the ILO plays a key role in the promotion of decent work and focuses on strengthening local economic development and improving employability by equipping refugees and host communities with better and more relevant skills to enter local labour markets and to access enterprise development opportunities. This high-level ministerial conference provided us the opportunity to leverage the good practises of development partners to review the commitments of IGAD member States to the 2019 Kampala Declaration.”
At the conference, member States acknowledged the need for concerted efforts to address areas of violence and conflicts, natural disasters, adverse impacts of climate change, and protection, while ensuring the preservation of asylum space and the rights of refugees as outlined in international and continental frameworks. These considerations will be incorporated into both national and regional policy frameworks.
The declaration also emphasized the importance of government-led whole-of-society approaches, socio-economic inclusion, return and reintegration, resettlement, local integration, partnership, burden and responsibility sharing, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Alexio Musindo, Country Director for the ILO in the Horn of Africa and Representative to the African Union, who addressed the closing ceremony said, “We offered three key solutions to the conference, access to labour market, right to work and access to training for refugees. We need social dialogue at the core of our strategy to achieve durable solutions for refugees. Universal and lasting peace can only be achieved through social justice. It should be our ultimate goal.”
Additionally, IGAD and EAC Member States adopted resolutions regarding the joint IGAD-EAC Multi-Stakeholder Regional Durable Solutions Pledge, which will be presented at the upcoming Global Refugee Forum in December 2023.
Eleven Member States endorsed the declaration, including the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Djibouti, the State of Eritrea, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan, and the Republic of Uganda.
The signing of the declaration was witnessed by esteemed representatives, including H.E Fathia Alwan, the Representative of the IGAD Executive Secretary; H.E Dr Irene Isaka, the Representative of the EAC Secretary General; Mr Michel Nshimba, representing H.E. Mrs Minata Samate Cessouma, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development; and H.E Ambassador Yasir Mohammed, representing the Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
The ILO team at IGAD and EAC at High-Level Ministerial Conference in Uganda ©ILO/IGAD Secretariat
The event also welcomed representatives from refugees and host local governments, signifying the inclusive and collaborative nature of this important endeavour. Stephen Opio, Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO PROSPECTS Programme in Uganda said, “Our support to Refugee participation in the High-Level Conference was intentional and aimed at providing Refugees with the opportunity to voice their concerns and make contributions towards finding solutions to the challenges they face. We are glad that the declaration reflects the voices of refugees, and it is now upon us to support the implementation of this Declaration on Durable Solutions for Refugees in the EAC and IGAD region”
Ms. Anny Sybille Izere, a Burundian refugee living in Uganda and founder of a locally based Community Organization in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda attended the High-Level Ministerial Conference. She shared, "One of the points that stood out for me from the Declaration is the States considering the free movement of refugees. For many years, refugees are considered as a stateless persons. Unlike the EAC members, refugees thus have to pay visa fee to move between these countries. I was super happy that IGAD and EAC member States are considering lifting this hinderance to our mobility as refugees.”
The signing of the declaration concluded with concrete follow-up and called an expert session in September 2023 in Arusha, Tanzania to develop a comprehensive plan of Action for the implementation of this Ministerial Declaration on Durable Solutions for Refugees in East and Horn of Africa.
Kampala, UGANDA (ILO News) - On June 16, 2023, the Ministers responsible for Refugee Affairs from the Member States of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) signed a Munyonyo Declaration on Sustainable Solutions for Refugees in the East and Horn of Africa.
ILO’s technical inputs to this declaration were guided by two key frameworks; the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation (No. 205), a key instrument that provides guidance to ILO constituents – representatives of governments and of employers’ and workers’ organizations – in addressing world-of-work issues in crisis situations and; and Guiding Principles on the access of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons to the labour market, a set of voluntary, non-binding principles rooted in relevant international labour standards and universal human rights instruments, and inspired by good practices implemented in the field.
Also, learnings from the ILO PROSPECTS programme and knowledge and experiences sharing from ILO staff, constituents and partners provided practical and sustainable solutions for improving education, employment and social protection for both hosts and refugee communities.
The conference was hosted by the Government of Uganda from 13-16 June 2023 in Munyonyo, Kampala. Attended by international and regional partners, this summit witnessed Member States committing to collaborate in tackling the fundamental causes and factors driving forced displacement in the IGAD and EAC regions.
Jealous Chirove, Country Director for the ILO East Africa, said, “Through the PROSPECTS Partnership, the ILO plays a key role in the promotion of decent work and focuses on strengthening local economic development and improving employability by equipping refugees and host communities with better and more relevant skills to enter local labour markets and to access enterprise development opportunities. This high-level ministerial conference provided us the opportunity to leverage the good practises of development partners to review the commitments of IGAD member States to the 2019 Kampala Declaration.”
At the conference, member States acknowledged the need for concerted efforts to address areas of violence and conflicts, natural disasters, adverse impacts of climate change, and protection, while ensuring the preservation of asylum space and the rights of refugees as outlined in international and continental frameworks. These considerations will be incorporated into both national and regional policy frameworks.
The declaration also emphasized the importance of government-led whole-of-society approaches, socio-economic inclusion, return and reintegration, resettlement, local integration, partnership, burden and responsibility sharing, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
We need social dialogue at the core of our strategy to achieve durable solutions for refugees. Universal and lasting peace can only be achieved through social justice. It should be our ultimate goal.
Alexio Musindo, Country Director for the ILO in the Horn of Africa
Alexio Musindo, Country Director for the ILO in the Horn of Africa and Representative to the African Union, who addressed the closing ceremony said, “We offered three key solutions to the conference, access to labour market, right to work and access to training for refugees. We need social dialogue at the core of our strategy to achieve durable solutions for refugees. Universal and lasting peace can only be achieved through social justice. It should be our ultimate goal.”
Additionally, IGAD and EAC Member States adopted resolutions regarding the joint IGAD-EAC Multi-Stakeholder Regional Durable Solutions Pledge, which will be presented at the upcoming Global Refugee Forum in December 2023.
Eleven Member States endorsed the declaration, including the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Djibouti, the State of Eritrea, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan, and the Republic of Uganda.
The signing of the declaration was witnessed by esteemed representatives, including H.E Fathia Alwan, the Representative of the IGAD Executive Secretary; H.E Dr Irene Isaka, the Representative of the EAC Secretary General; Mr Michel Nshimba, representing H.E. Mrs Minata Samate Cessouma, the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development; and H.E Ambassador Yasir Mohammed, representing the Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
The ILO team at IGAD and EAC at High-Level Ministerial Conference in Uganda ©ILO/IGAD Secretariat
The event also welcomed representatives from refugees and host local governments, signifying the inclusive and collaborative nature of this important endeavour. Stephen Opio, Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO PROSPECTS Programme in Uganda said, “Our support to Refugee participation in the High-Level Conference was intentional and aimed at providing Refugees with the opportunity to voice their concerns and make contributions towards finding solutions to the challenges they face. We are glad that the declaration reflects the voices of refugees, and it is now upon us to support the implementation of this Declaration on Durable Solutions for Refugees in the EAC and IGAD region”
Ms. Anny Sybille Izere, a Burundian refugee living in Uganda and founder of a locally based Community Organization in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda attended the High-Level Ministerial Conference. She shared, "One of the points that stood out for me from the Declaration is the States considering the free movement of refugees. For many years, refugees are considered as a stateless persons. Unlike the EAC members, refugees thus have to pay visa fee to move between these countries. I was super happy that IGAD and EAC member States are considering lifting this hinderance to our mobility as refugees.”
The signing of the declaration concluded with concrete follow-up and called an expert session in September 2023 in Arusha, Tanzania to develop a comprehensive plan of Action for the implementation of this Ministerial Declaration on Durable Solutions for Refugees in East and Horn of Africa.