The Liaison & Policy Unit of the IOM Regional Office in MENA has played an important role in advancing the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) across North Africa and Middle East. One of their significant initiatives involved organizing GCM talks to facilitate dialogue and cooperation among various government and non-government stakeholders. This effort ensured the active participation of partners from the Central Mediterranean Route (CMR) in the GCM Regional Review processes. The unit also focused on enhancing regional coordination by fostering strategic consultations between the Regional United Nations Network on Migration of the Arab region, and relevant stakeholders. This was primarily done through the Regional Stakeholder Advisory Group (R-SAG) to encourage meaningful engagement across the Arab region.
Additionally, the Liaison & Policy Unit facilitated broader consultations aimed at ensuring that migration issues were addressed inclusively and strategically. By supporting the R-SAG and its outreach, the unit promoted enhanced participation and consultation from a diverse range of stakeholders, contributing to more comprehensive migration governance in the region. These efforts aligned closely with the objective of strengthening the commitments of CMR Member States towards the GCM, particularly in addressing the drivers of migration, including the adverse effects of climate change.
Furthermore, the largest country in Africa, and the continent's fourth longest land border, Algeria is an essential junction point between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Its central geographical position and its large surface area have placed the country at the crossroads of a region whose migratory dynamics are constantly evolving. Its wide desertic inland has served for centuries as crossroads for goods and people from West to East and from the South to the Mediterranean. More recently, the evolution of the security issue of neighboring countries, particularly Libya and the Sahel, have once again highlighted the crucial importance of Algeria in the stability of the region.
Building on the ongoing efforts to enhance migration governance in the region, three complementary initiatives have been identified to further strengthen the implementation of the GCM in North Africa. These activities are designed to improve regional coordination, align legal frameworks with international standards, and foster collaboration between key stakeholders involved in migration policy and governance.
Firstly, drafting policy briefs on regional migration trends and policies under relevant regional entities such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), and the League of Arab States (LAS), etc., will provide essential insights into migration dynamics. These briefs will serve as critical tools to inform decision-makers, support policy development, and promote alignment with broader regional and global frameworks. They will also encourage cross-border collaboration by highlighting key challenges and opportunities within these regional bodies.
Secondly, the development of a project document to elaborate a publication on migration-related policy in MENA supported by local migration lawyers in North Africa and Middle East, in order to enhance the region governments’ capacity to implement the GCM. This network will support initiatives related to migration governance, legislation, and policy, working closely with the Regional UN Network on Migration for the Arab region. By exploring synergies with other initiatives such as the MHub and American University in Cairo (AUC) partnerships, the network will focus on creating country profiles that examine policy, legal, and administrative frameworks. Additionally, it will conduct comparative analyses on specific legal topics to facilitate coherent and effective migration management across North Africa.