Accra – On 30 November 2020, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) held the first meeting to kick off the National Consultation on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), in preparation for the submission of Ghana’s voluntary national review of GCM implementation.

The virtual meeting was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The consultation aimed to determine Ghana’s priorities for the next Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF) from 2022-2025. It has allowed participants to discuss national migration commitments under the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+25) Programme of Action.

In a statement delivered on behalf of Dr. Kodjo Esseim Mensah Abrampah, Director-General of NDPC, Mary Mpereh, Chief Analyst Population, Gender and Migration, stated that Ghana has signed unto the GCM, and committed to prepare and submit its voluntary national review.

According to Dr Abrampah, the  NDPC  integrates Ghana’s regional, continental and international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Beijing Platform for Action, ICPD+25 and the GCM, among others, into the national development policy frameworks. He also added that the NDPC is coordinating the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of these frameworks in close partnership with the various reporting mechanisms.

The GCM was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. It isthe first comprehensive global framework to enhance international cooperation on migration governance. With its 23 objectives, the GCMcovers migration management in an inclusive, holistic and comprehensive manner. The GCM is aligned to regional migration agendas, including the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) Free Movement Protocols and the African Union Migration Policy Framework. It is also complementary to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The 2030 Agenda includes a pledge to ‘Leave No One Behind’, and to endeavour to reach the furthest behind first. Many SDG targets can only be fully achieved if migration and migrants are considered. Enhancing migration governance through the implementation of the GCM will be essential, and thus we look forward to continuing our partnership in this effort,” said Charles Abani, UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana.

To support the implementation, monitoring and review of the GCM, the UN Resident Coordinator office and IOM established the UN Network on Migration (UNNM) in Ghana to facilitate effective, timely and coordinated UN intregated support. To increase advocacy and ownership on the GCM, 18 countries have volunteered to be champion countries, including Ghana.

“IOM and the UNNM are committed to continually support the Government of Ghana in the GCM process as it seeks to harness the development of the potential inherent in migration. During these trying times, the GCM provides an effective framework for the governance of international migration in all its dimensions, which can be leveraged by states to respond to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Abibatou Wane-Fall, IOM Ghana Chief of Mission.

For more information, please contact Nnamdi Iwuora, Project Manager at IOM Ghana: niwuora@iom.int.