COMESA and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a cooperative working relationship in different areas of common interest which centers on managing migration and related activities in the Eastern and Southern African region.

Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe and the IOM Regional Director Southern Africa Mr Ashraf El Nour signed the MoU at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka on Thursday 20 April 2023.

Other areas in the MoU include border management in the context of regional integration, mainstream/integrate migration/mobility into the trade agenda, migrant protection within supply chains, recruitment and value chain. The organisations will also collaborate in research on the harmonization of legislation on migration and related matters.

They will establish a comprehensive migration information system in the COMESA region and support the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and regular Migration.

Combating smuggling of migrants and irregular migration, migration health, counter trafficking and addressing mixed migration are some of the areas of common interest that they will collaborate on.

“We look forward to implementing this MoU because the IOM has been a partner of COMESA for many years having successfully collaborated in different sectors before,” Madam Kapwepwe said.

Mr El Nour said his organization values COMESA as a strong regional Economic Community that have been committed to the promotion of economic growth and support for human development among its people.