Study Emphasizes Free Intercontinental Movement of Persons in Realizing AU Agenda 2063

Addis Ababa July 23/2018 As Africa seeks to catch up with the higher income nations, facilitating free intercontinental movement of persons will be an essential and key strategy in realizing the goals of African Union's Agenda 2063, a study issued by AU and IOM revealed. The "Study on the Benefits and Challenges of Free Movement of Persons in Africa" was launched here today. The study, commissioned jointly by the Department of Political Affairs of African Union Commission and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that free movement of persons is an integral part of the African free trade area strategy. "Socioeconomic and political integration remains Africa's real prospect for harnessing the continent's vast resources for the benefit of its people," according to the study. However, territorial borders continue to hinder the free movement of people in certain countries in Africa due to security concerns, health epidemics and socioeconomic disparities, among others. Increased movement of people, goods and services across the borders inevitably incentivizes better infrastructural linkages and connections of African countries, it noted. The study stressed that free movement of Africans throughout the continent, if implemented incrementally alongside appropriate systems and produces, can increase trade, tourism and industrialization. At the launching event, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Minate Samate Cessouma said African countries need to encourage and facilitate free movement on the continent. She said "free movement of Africans has registered some level of success, but the rest movements are not at successful level." Cessouma called on member states to ratify the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons. Chief Mission and Representative of International Organization for Migration, Maureen Achieng said free movement of persons in Africa has the potential of bolstering Pan African identity, deepening social integration. She noted that free movement is vital in supporting livelihood of 43 percent of African people depending on cross-border trade. The AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons adopted in January 2018 by African leaders has so far been signed by 27 countries, with Rwanda taking a further step of ratifying the protocol.