FMM is currently reinforcing the ECOWAS Commission’s capacities in the area of migration data management, immigration and border management, labour migration management and counter- trafficking. Through the realization of several baseline assessments, the Project identified the existing capacities and needs of the ECOWAS Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorate, Free Movement of Persons Directorate and other relevant Directorates in the above-mentioned areas. Based on the results of these assessments, the Project started to implement follow-up activities that are aligned with the ECOWAS Commission’s capacities and needs.

During the period under review, progress has been made towards strengthening the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) as a structured, fact-based and result oriented intra-regional dialogue on migration under the leadership of the ECOWAS Commission, with the formal approval of the creation of MIDWA institutions including the regional Secretariat and eight thematic working groups. An additional institution, the national secretariat, will be substituted by a structured relation between the MIDWA institutions and the national Committee on Migration in order reinforce sustainability and avoid duplication of concertation structures. In February 2018, the Regional Secretariat approved the work plan and the budget for 2018-2019 to ensure continuity of activities beyond the FMM program

In line with the priorities identified by the baseline assessment on immigration and border management undertaken by the action in its initial implementation phase, FMM started providing advisory services and technical support to the ECOWAS Commission’s Free Movement of Persons and Tourism Directorate with the aim of implementing of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (NBIC) decision. The introduction of the NBIC is among the top priorities for the ECOWAS Heads of States and seeks to further promote safe and facilitated regional travel of ECOWAS citizens. At the request of the Free Movement and Tourism Directorate, the Project developed the ECOWAS training Manuals on Border Management and Free Movement. These ECOWAS training tools will enable the ECOWAS Commission to support and ensure comprehensive, high-quality and standardized training of ECOWAS Member States’ immigration officials and officers dealing with labour migration.

On counter-trafficking, the Project supported the Trafficking in Persons (TiP) Unit of the ECOWAS Commission in the development of its new Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Persons, based on an assessment of the impact of the previous plan of Action. Furthermore, the Project contributed to strengthening the ECOWAS TiP Unit’s Annual Review Meeting. Through the Project, efforts were made to re-establish contact between the ECOWAS TiP Unit and Cabo Verde, which had been dormant since 2009. This resulted in the appointment of a new National Focal Point (NFP) for TiP in Cabo Verde, and the active participation of two of its representatives in the 2014, and 2016 Annual Review Meeting. Cabo Verde’s presence at the 2014 Annual Review Meeting was its first time in five years. In the 2015 Annual Review Meeting, the Project again provided both technical expertise and logistical support to the ECOWAS TiP Unit. Two representatives each from 13 ECOWAS Member States participated in the meeting. Cabo Verde and Mali were, unfortunately, not represented. However, FMM organized the participation of two delegates from Mauritania as observers. Due to budget constraints, ECOWAS was unable to organize a review meeting in 2016, however, an Annual review meeting was organized in 2017, with representatives from 14 MS and 2 representatives from Mauritania as observers.

The project also strengthened the capacity of the ECOWAS TiP unit on monitoring and evaluation through the development of a new reporting template for MS. This template is already being used (from 2018) by Member States in submitting annual reports to ECOWAS on the implementation of the Plan of Action at the national level. These reports are used in compiling the Annual Synthesis report on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action. The project has supported the compilation of the synthesis report for the year 2012/2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Two staff members from ECOWAS TiP Unit and 11 National Focal Point members from 11 Member States have their capacities strengthened on various thematic issues related to human trafficking, child labour, forced labour and training methodology by ITC/ILO. Over 190 anti-human trafficking stakeholders were reported to have been trained by the trained NFPs from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana. The project also conducted a rapid assessment on ‘Tools to Strengthen Cooperation Mechanisms in the enforcement of Laws against Human Trafficking in West Africa and Mauritania’. The study was presented at a sub-regional collaboration meeting under the DDF. The project also supported the initiation for the review of ECOWAS Child Policy and the development of a Strategic Framework for child protection in West Africa.

Within the migration and protection sector, the FMM program supported the elaboration of the ECOWAS manual and trainers’ guide on Mixed Migration. UNHCR contributed to elaborate the chapter on statelessness and the IOM lead expert completed the manual and the trainers’ package. Representatives of the ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania were trained during a regional ToT that took place in Saly, Senegal in May 2018. The trainees remain as the respective national focal points for matters related to Mixed Migration through the regional coordination of the MIDWA homonymous working group.
With regards to activities on labour migration, key recommendations have been made towards the development of labour market information systems and development of database for the ECOWAS Member States public employment services as a strategic response to labour migration governance. In addition, the capacity of key staff of the ECOWAS Commission was built through their participation in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 ILO Labour Migration Academy in Turin and through a tailor-made training workshop held in 2017 involving all relevant ECOWAS Directorates, the ECOWAS Court of Justice, ECOWAS parliament and regional social partners ‘organizations (workers and employers).

The capacity of the Directorate of Research and Statistics was further enhanced through expert advice, information exchange and exposure to international forums on migration data. From 20-22 June 2017, one staff of the Directorate was sponsored to participate in the United Nations Expert Group Meeting tagged Improving Migration Data in the Context of the 2030 Agenda which was held at New York, USA. The project has continued to advocate for mainstreaming migration data activities in the Regional Statistics Strategy as well as strengthening the linkages between migration data and policies. The project also developed the Migration Data collection Tool (ECOMIS) to enable Member State collect data under 12 indicators and also ECOWAS to aggregate data submitted by member state.

Towards promoting EU-ECOWAS dialogue and donor coordination, the project organized a meeting in Accra in February 2016) on the implementation of the Valletta Action plan by ECOWAS Member States. The meeting aimed at supporting the ECOWAS Commission in promoting their strategy on migration and free movement of persons, mobilize resources to meet its strategic objectives and strengthen coordination between the ECOWAS Commission, development partners and actors engaged in the migration field.