Abidjan, November 26th 2024 – The Integrated Border Stability Mechanism (IBSM) for West Africa in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior of Côte d'Ivoire organized a three-day regional consultation on legal identity. This event brought together technical experts to foster in-depth discussions aimed at understanding key challenges, identifying priority needs, and exploring major opportunities related to this fundamental human rights issue.

According to the World Bank Group, 850 million people worldwide lack proof of legal Identity. In West Africa, this issue particularly impacts cross-border communities and mobile populations, limiting their access to essential services and protection. This challenge is further underscored by the fact that, in 2022, 88% of migration flows in West and Central Africa were internal to the region.

The urgency of this concern is heightened in a context marked by increasing mobility and growing security concerns. Marco Mantovan, IBSM Coordinator, stated: " Fifty-six percent of the world's population without legal identity documentation resides in Sub-Saharan Africa. Border governance and security in this region necessitate effective identity management systems to monitor and facilitate the movement of people across borders. Establishing legal status is essential for accessing socio-economic and community services, as well as promoting cross-border trade by ensuring individuals have the necessary documentation to legally participate in economic activities."

To address this challenge, it is crucial that all relevant stakeholders, including policymakers, migration experts, representatives of regional and international organizations and civil society are strongly engaged and adopt an inclusive approach. The goal is to develop practical and harmonized solutions tailored to local and regional realities.

This regional consultation represents a significant step toward the social and economic integration of border populations, in alignment with international standards and the continent’s strategic development priorities.  Anselme SOME, Head of Division at the General Delegation for Peace and Security of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), emphasized: "The regional consultation presents a valuable opportunity to urge states to bring administration closer to populations living in the most remote areas. This will facilitate their access to civil status documents, enabling them to benefit from the three essential freedoms for regular migration enshrined by WAEMU: the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital.”  

Participants committed to fostering an integrated approach especially by strengthening regional cooperation to harmonize identification systems and to advocate for interoperability both at national and regional levels, thereby facilitating safe and regular mobility. A plan of action, directly contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 10 and 16 as well as regional agendas, was developed to address existing gaps and modernize identity management systems. "It is imperative that our efforts align with international standards and respect human rights to ensure legal identity for all," affirmed General TOURE Seydou, representing the Minister of Interior and Security of Cote d’Ivoire, during the workshop. "We must prioritize cross-border cooperation and establish peaceful relationships in addressing border issues. It is therefore essential to build joint control posts along major transportation routes, encourage regular meetings between administrative and police authorities, and strengthen cooperation with regional and international organizations working on this matter," adds Police Commissioner Abdoulaye TOURE of the Directorate of File Automation (DAF) of Senegal.

This activity was made possible with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Legal Identity Unit and the Migration Cooperation and Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions (COMPASS) project.

The Integrated Border Stability Mechanism for West Africa is an inter-agency coordination structure bringing together the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) within its Secretariat.

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For more information, please contact:
Abdoulaye Mamadou SOUKOUNA, IBSM, asoukouna@iom.int