Accra launches local migration governance indicators

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) have officially launched the Local Migration Governance Indicators (MGI): 2019 Accra City Profile at a ceremony.

The MGI, developed by IOM, is a set of indicators that help countries to assess the comprehensiveness of their migration governance structures.

They allow governments to identify good practices and areas with potential for further development.

The National MGI was rolled out for Ghana in 2016 and three cities – Accra (Ghana), Montreal (Canada) and Sao Paolo (Brazil) participated in the pilot phase of the Local MGI – designed to foster dialogue on migration governance between national governments and local authorities.

The report on the City of Accra highlights well-developed areas, such as the roll-out of mass health insurance registrations in deprived communities including migrant settlements, and emergency assistance provided at local authority level which is offered to all people affected including migrants.

It additionally identified areas for improvement, including the collection and publication of migration data and implementing awareness strategies on countering xenophobia and exclusion.

Nnamdi Iwuora, IOM Ghana Project Manager, who represented Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, IOM Ghana Chief of Mission, said: “The increasing influence of cities in shaping migration trajectories demands continued attention from all stakeholders.”

He encouraged the representatives to “work together with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to use this profile to improve migration governance at the local level.”

Mr.Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), said: “It is important for us to look at migration as one of the major causes of population growth in our cities. I am hopeful that this report will be the basis for our city planning as it relates to migration in the years to come.”

Following this pilot, IOM will encourage more cities to participate in the local MGI exercise and continue to support local authorities to discuss common challenges and share good practices to improve migration governance at the national and local level.

The Local MGI contributes towards the Government of Ghana’s efforts to achieve the objectives set out in the Global Compact for Migration such as Objective 1 to collect accurate and disaggregated data, as well as Objective 23 to strengthen international cooperation and global partnerships.

It also underlines the Government’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities and SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities and the New Urban Agenda, in which migration is fully integrated in the strategic planning and management of cities, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.

Represented at the ceremony were officials from the Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, Ministry of the Interior, National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), amongst others.