Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior has applauded the progress achieved through the ECOWAS free movement protocol and called for intensification of efforts to facilitate intra-regional migration to enhance labour mobility.

“Free movement of persons, goods, services and capital have long been identified as an indispensable pillar in the realization of integration, the fundamental mission of our regional organisation,” he said.

Mr Dery made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Mrs Adelaide Anno-Kumi, the Chief Director of the Ministry, at a three day workshop aimed at operationalizing the Guidelines for the Assessment of the Implementation of ECOWAS Protocols on the Movement of Persons by Member States.

The workshop, which was participated by representatives from the labour and immigration sectors of the Member States, was also to enhance the capacity of law enforcement and partner agencies of Member States to effectively implement the Protocols on Free Movement of Person, the Right of Residence and Establishment.

Mr Guy Ryder, the Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), commended the ECOWAS Commission and the ILO for the development of the guidelines for assessing the implementation of the protocols.

“The ILO is particularly delighted to have been afforded this opportunity to partner with ECOWAS in the organization of this regional workshop aimed at operationalizing the developed guidelines under the framework of the European Union Funded project “Support to the Free Movement of Persons and Migration”.

“Indeed this partnership between the ECOWAS Commission and the ILO is one that has continued to grow since the signing of the first Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations in 2005” he said.

Mr Ryder said the ECOWAS region remains the best in respect of the practice on free movement and expressed optimism that effective monitoring of the protocols, using the developed guidelines, would promote integration and eventually strengthen cooperation among Member States.

He said although progress on the implementation of the guidelines has been slow, the ILO was of the opinion that ECOWAS was on the right path and that the ECOWAS Commission needs to take the leadership in the protection of the rights of migrant workers.

“The ILO is convinced that the ECOWAS Commission needs to take the leadership in the protection of migrant workers’ rights by proactively taking steps such as the adoption of various administrative and legal measures to ensure the applicability and enforcement of workers’ rights within the region. This also includes the implementation of the free movement protocol,” he said.

Mr Ryder said it is gratifying to note that, ECOWAS has over the years initiated measures to safeguard the rights of the people as it implements the free movement of persons.

The journey to develop the guidelines started in 2016. An assessment was conducted to support the ECOWAS Commission in developing a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to monitor the implementation of the Free Movement Protocols by Member States. The report was reviewed by experts and the Member States and was validated in April 2017.

In response to the findings of the study, Member States identified the need to develop a guideline for the evaluation of the implementation of ECOWAS Protocols on Free Movement of Persons by ECOWAS Member States.

The ILO, through the “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa” (FMM West Africa) project, in collaboration with the Free Movement and Tourism Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission, engaged the services of consultants to conduct the assessment and develop guidelines for evaluation of the implementation of the Free Movement Protocols by ECOWAS Member states. The guidelines was validated in 2018 by ECOWAS Experts and also the Heads of Immigration.

The workshop was jointly funded by the European Union and the ECOWAS Commission within the framework of the “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa” (FMM West Africa) project.

The workshop would end on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.