Morocco and the African Union (AU) inaugurated on Friday the African Migration Observatory in Rabat.
The inauguration ceremony was co-chaired by Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, and the AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Amira El Fadil.
This came upon the proposal of King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as the AU leader on the issue of migration, which was endorsed by African heads of State at the 31st AU Summit held in Nouakchott in July 2018.
Bourita stressed that the Observatory in Rabat enjoys an important strategic dimension.
The Observatory will provide Africa with specific data able to help make decisions, establish migration strategies and give a clear vision on African migration while dispelling the myths surrounding this issue, he indicated.
Bourita also noted that the Observatory will allow Africa to be in a position of strength as an interlocutor with other partners who often put Africa on the defensive in relation to migration issues.
His remarks were made during a press briefing with Fadil after the inauguration ceremony.
For her part, the AU official welcomed the inauguration of the institution, noting that it's the first migration observatory in Africa.
“Today is indeed a historic and momentous occasion in Africa. Historic in that the African Migration Observatory becomes the first-ever such continental institution in Africa, and momentous in that it marks the beginning of our efforts towards generating data that is balanced and relevant to the needs of Africa in the field of migration."
Fadil said the observatory will focus mainly on the intra-continental migration and intercontinental migration.
“The bulk of migration in Africa is intra-continental, and there is evidence to support the notion that well-managed migration can benefit the socio-economic development of nations — both migrant-sending and receiving countries,” she noted.
“It is also imperative that as Africans engage with other regions on issues of migration, they do so from a position of knowledge, fact, and evidence. And the observatory will provide the continent with that.”
