ITUC-AFRICA AND ATUC DISCUSS ADVANCING MIGRATION GOVERNANCE AND DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS.

Tunji Wusu –

The Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) and the African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) have taken steps to design workable modalities to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights in order to support sustainable development goals.

The discussions were dominated by ways unions can help achieve rights-based migration governance, which protects and upholds migrant workers’ rights and contributes to sustainable development goals in both the origin and destination countries, according to a communiqué released at the conclusion of the two-day brainstorming session of stakeholders made up of unionists from Africa and the Arab regions.

The meeting was successful, according to the communiqué, because all parties identified and agreed to advance efforts on “Advocating to overcome adverse drivers of migration, including advocacy for deepening and expanding democratic spaces and for universal social protection as well as advocacy to end conflicts; organizing migrant workers into unions both in countries of origin and destination; providing services to migrant workers, such as through Migrant Resou
They reaffirmed the urgency of helping to change the circumstances that force individuals to migrate out of necessity rather than choice and subject them to abuses of human and labor rights.

They emphasized the significance of conflict and climate change as push factors in addition to inequalities, poverty, and gaps in good work in countries of origin. They emphasized the necessity of triangular social discussion to address these issues.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) they signed in 2018, the ITUC-Africa and ATUC have been collaborating on rights-based migration governance alongside other regional union organizations.

With the addition of the ITUC to the office and the presence of Mr. Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, the MOU was renewed in June 2023.res.”