International Centre for Migration Policy Development lauds ECOWAS

By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, March 20, GNA – Mrs Mojisola Sodeinde, the Head, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), West Africa, has lauded the ECOWAS Commission for its achievements in promoting regional integration, setting the example for other regions in Africa to follow.

Mrs Sodeinde gave the commendation on Monday at the opening of the Training of Trainers workshop on the ECOWAS Regional Border Management Training and Free Movement Manual and its Trainers Guide in Accra.

She said the ICMPD within the framework of support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa (FMM), West Africa Project was implementing this comprehensive Border Management Action in all ECOWAS Member States.

She explained that to support this capacity building initiative, ECOWAS established two training manuals, the Regional Border Management Training Manual and the Free Movement Manual.

Mrs Sodeinde noted that these manuals aimed to provide regional tools to enhance the capacities of border operatives and other government officials in achieving a more harmonised border management practice throughout the region and to support the full implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement protocol.

She said the Border Management Training Manual was cognizant of existing initiatives across the West Africa region, infused with international best practices to present the final draft which will continue to be updated as needed.

She said the Free Movement manual covered the ECOWAS protocol on the right of entry, residence and establishment.

Also, it covered the civil, economic and social rights necessary for its realization.

The four-day Train the Trainer’s workshop, the first in the series of three, is for selected Trainers of border officials from five ECOWAS Member states, namely Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Niger.

The training is being supported under the Demand Driven Facility (DDF) implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) within the framework of the EU-ECOWAS funded support to FMM Project.

At the end of the training workshop, the five participants from each ECOWAS Member State are expected to plan and execute a step down training for officers at their National Training Academies.

ICMPD is an inter-governmental organization with 15 member states; it promotes innovative, comprehensive and sustainable migration policies, to harmonize and make migration management more efficient, and to function as a service exchange mechanism for governments and organizations.

ICMPD does this by using a holistic three-pillar approach: Research, Capacity building and Migration dialogues.

GNA

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