Freetown- On 15 February 2022, national stakeholders in the migration sector in Sierra Leone gathered to discuss the country’s progress in implementing the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the consultation, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, Mr. Babatunde Ahonsi reminded that “the GCM reflects a growing understanding of the benefits linked to human mobility. It provides us with a structured framework to look at migration in a comprehensive, forward-looking manner”.

The Compact, through its 23 objectives, offers a range of guiding goals that can be inspiring, if not foundational, for policymaking to the benefit of migration, and this forum serves as the primary global platform to discuss and share progress on the implementation of all aspects of the Global Compact, including as it relates to the 2030 Agenda, and with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, Mr. Babatunde Ahonsi added. In December 2020, Sierra Leone held its first national consultation and submitted a voluntary national report on the GCM.

The national review process of the progress of the implementation of the GCM Report will feed into the sub-regional review, the continental review, and then the first International Migration Review Forum that will be held in New York, in May this year. “As you may all aware, we are not hosting this review, only because the Ministry held and coordinated the review of the GCM National Report on 3rd December 2022, but as the ministry that has taken the onus to flag migration as a critical component of our national development agenda,” said Ms. Mamadi Gobeh Kamara, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

She further stated that the engagement is timely because it coincides with the finalization of the Government’s policy on migration- to finalize a profound work undertaken by Government and non- Governmental organizations, and to develop a national document that deals with migration issues. The Head of Office at IOM Sierra Leone Dr. James Bagonza commended the Government of Sierra Leone for moving forward with the review of the GCM“Sierra Leone’s report, which will be discussed today is a chance to identify existing gaps in the migration landscape.

It is also a chance for the UN Network on Migration in Sierra Leone to contribute to the discussion and look at concrete ways to support these gaps”, he said. “As a leading agency with respect to IOM role as secretariat of the United Nations Network on Migration, we feel privileged to bring together diverse stakeholders to this discussion. We are confident our exchanges here will also be critical to identifying how to improve thematic migration policies and programs in Sierra Leone in the long run”, Dr. Bagonza added. For more information, please contact Dr. James Bagonza, Email: jbagonza@iom.int.For Media Enquiries, Alfred Fornah, Email, afornah@iom.int