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Counter Trafficking
Combating trafficking in persons (TIP) is a priority for the ECOWAS Commission and its Member States.
The Free Movement and Migration (FMM) West Africa project supports and develops the capacities of the ECOWAS Commission, especially the TIP Unit, in combating trafficking in persons. This is achieved through the implementation of tailor-made activities, which focus on ECOWAS Commission priorities and build upon on-going efforts in this field.
FMM West Africa is funded by the European Union and the ECOWAS Commission. It is implemented jointly by the International Organization for Migration, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, and the International Labour Organization.
COMBATINGTRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
CAPACITY BUILDING
1)Develop and implement a training plan on combating trafficking in persons (TIP) for ECOWAS staff.
2)Train the national TIP focal points and enhance their status within their governments.
3)Disseminate ECOWAS Policy on TIP and train trainers to target key actors at the local level.
MONITORING MECHANISMS
1)Strengthen the annual review meetings on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action on Combating TIP and expand the training component
2)Support the development of a new Plan of Action on Combating TIP by ECOWAS
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
1)Develop tools to assist Member States in updating their anti-TIP legislation and strengthening law enforcement mechanisms on TIP
PROTECTION
Explain and disseminate the concept of “protection of people on the move” in West Africa
Develop policy guidelines to mainstream the concept of “protection of people on the move”
Guide national governments in enhancing and implementing policies on child protection and child mobility in West Africa
Conduct a baseline assessment to identify existing needs and priorities of the ECOWAS Commission in the area of counter-trafficking
ICMPD undertook the Baseline Assessment of the Capacity of the ECOWAS Commission Trafficking in Persons (TiP) Unit for Combating Trafficking in Persons. The assessment also targeted the TiP National Focal Points (NFPs) in the ECOWAS Member States in order to evaluate how effectively the ECOWAS Commission’s TiP Unit is working with the NFPs and how cooperation and coordination can be improved to better counter trafficking in the ECOWAS region. The assessment analysed the ECOWAS TiP Unit’s and NFPs’ mandates, institutional capacities, institutional challenges and financial constraints. In addition, existing internal coordination mechanisms and internal knowledge sharing, and collaboration practices were evaluated.
The draft report of the assessment was presented at the meeting of the Committee for Project Steering and Coordination (CPSC) on 28 February 2014 and finalized with inputs from the ECOWAS TiP Unit by the end of the inception phase of the Project.
The Assessment report identified priorities and gaps in existing knowledge among the target groups on counter-trafficking and recommends building the capacity of the ECOWAS Commission TiP Unit and the TiP NFPs in the following strategic areas:
The draft report of the assessment was presented at the meeting of the Committee for Project Steering and Coordination (CPSC) on 28 February 2014 and finalized with inputs from the ECOWAS TiP Unit by the end of the inception phase of the Project.
The Assessment report identified priorities and gaps in existing knowledge among the target groups on counter-trafficking and recommends building the capacity of the ECOWAS Commission TiP Unit and the TiP NFPs in the following strategic areas:
- General migration context and migration policy;
- Migrant rights and labour migration;
- Trafficking for labour exploitation;
- Trafficking for domestic servitude;
- Trafficking for exploitation through begging and street hawking;
- Protection of victims of trafficking;
- Compensation of victims of trafficking;
- Transnational cooperation on prosecution;
- Data collection and information management;
Drafting and implementing national action plans and strategies. The assessment report has been translated into the three ECOWAS languages. Hard copies of the report have been distributed to the ECOWAS Member States’ TiP NFPs at the ECOWAS TiP Annual Review Meeting, which took place from 21 – 23 July 2014
https://fmmwestafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Report-of-the-ECOWAS-baseline-assessment- on-counter-trafficking.pdf.
With the support of IOM, a Mixed Migration Strategy has been developed to enable Member states and ECOWAS to strengthen the regional protection framework. The Mixed Migration strategy aims at guiding the relevant thematic directorates of ECOWAS concerned with protection in the context of migration. The validation and finalization of the draft is undergoing discussion with the Directorate of Humanitarian. The documents are set to be an integral part of the ECOWAS Regional Migration Policy
Develop and implement a comprehensive training plan for the ECOWAS Commission (TIP Unit) on counter-trafficking
Two staff members from the TiP Unit of the ECOWAS Commission participated in a training course which took place at ITC-ILO, Turin, Italy from 5 – 9 May 2014. The training focused on “Identifying and Investigating Forced Labour and Trafficking Cases”. The course was delivered through a series of face to face seminars, plenary and small group discussions, as well as case studies. Certain sessions were facilitated through tele- conferencing.
The main outcomes of this training for the TiP Unit include:
- Improved understanding of the purpose and differences between forced labour, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons;
- Better coordination between the TiP Unit’s programmes on trafficking in persons, child labour and child protection;
- Integration of forced labour into the current TiP Unit’s programme framework and possible development of a Policy and Plan of Action on the combat of forced labour in complement of the ECOWAS Plan of Action to combat trafficking in persons;
- Possible integration of forced labour into the training and capacity building strategy for TIP national focal points in ECOWAS Member States currently under development
At the training workshop held from the 30th May to 1st of June 2017 in Abuja, 37 ECOWAS staff were trained to better understand the concept and trends of child labour and child trafficking in West Africa.
To achieve the objective of developing a training plan for ECOWAS commission, and also to extend training to other stakeholders at national and local levels and enhance the capacity of more actors working on the elimination of trafficking in persons, child labour and forced labour, an online training package has been developed covering the modules delivered during the blended training program. The module will also be published and printed in hard copies. This training is intended to enhance participants’ understanding of trafficking, child labour and forced labour, and irregular migration – as well as the inter-linkages and interrelations between these phenomena. It will also support national level trainings to be carried out by National Focal Points with support from ILO and also under the project’s Non-State Actors and possibly Demand Driven Facility. The International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO) finalized the training module in July 2018 ( 148). The training module was used for the step-down training conducted in four countries, namely Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Gambia and Nigeria.
Strengthen the annual ECOWAS review meetings on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action on combating TIP as the leading institution for intra-regional dialogue on counter-trafficking issues and reinforce related planning, coordination, monitoring and reporting mechanisms
The 2014 ECOWAS Annual TiP Review Meeting took place in Abuja at the ECOWAS Commission Secretariat from 21 – 23 July. The Project provided both expertise and logistical support to assist in ensuring the high quality of the 2014 edition of the yearly 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 for TiP in Cabo Verde, and the active participation of two of its representatives in the meeting, ensuring that as represented for the first time in five years.
The Project also assisted the TiP Unit in analysing the annual reports on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action, submitted by the NFPs. In consultation with the TiP Unit, the information contained in the reports was compiled and analysed to compose the Annual Synthesis Report for 2012-2013. The Report comprises an analysis of the implementation of the ECOWAS TiP Action Plan 2008 -2011 in the ECOWAS Member States and counter trafficking trends across the region.
As part of its support to the Annual Meeting, the Project provided the NFPs with a training from 24 – 25 July 2014. The results of the Baseline Assessment of the Capacity of the National Focal Points and the ECOWAS TiP Unit for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings informed the training component, thus ensuring that the training addressed the most significant priorities and gaps in existing knowledge among the target groups on counter-trafficking. A total of 47 people were engaged in the trainings including 8 trainers, representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the consortium partners and 31 participants from the 15 ECOWAS Member States. Mauritania was invited to participate as an observer in the Annual Review Meeting and as a participant in the training, but the designated representative cancelled his participation in both these events.
The participants rated the training as having a high quality and the topics and the knowledge that they gained very relevant.
The 2015 Annual Review Meeting took place from 27 – 29 July 2015 at the ECOWAS Commission. The Project again provided both technical expertise and logistical support to the ECOWAS TiP Unit. Two representatives from 13 ECOWAS Member States participated in the meeting. Cape Verde and Mali were unfortunately, not represented. However, the project organised the participation of two delegates from Mauritania as observers in the 2015 review meeting.
The project also supported the ECOWAS TiP Unit to compile the 2014 Annual Synthesis Report on the TIP situation across the region. The report is based on information provided by ECOWAS Member States, in their Annual Country Reports on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action, submitted every year by the NFPs. A total of 14 country reports for year 2014 were received from the NFPs, prior to the Meeting (except for Mali).
An additional training session was organised for the NFPs from 30 – 31 July 2015. Following recommendations on future training topics made by the NFPs during the 2014 training, the 2015 training sessions focused on (i) Legal Frameworks and forms of trafficking and (ii) TiP data collection and Research. The training team comprised experts from ICMPD, IOM, ILO, the ECOWAS Commission, UNODC and the West Africa Network on Child Protection (WAN/RAO), with a total of 28 participants from 13 ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania trained.
Between February and March 2016, the project worked with the ECOWAS TiP unit to develop a new Reporting Template for ECOWAS Member States. This new reporting template is in line with the new 2016 – 2022 ECOWAS Plan of Action, which was developed with the support of the project. The new Plan of Action and reporting template will be presented to the national focal points during the 2016 Annual Review Meeting, planned to take place in the second half of 2016.
The report of the ECOWAS 2014 and 2015 Annual TiP Review Meeting are attached ( 34 and 35), as well as the reports of the trainings that were provided to the NFPS ( 36 and 37). Due to budget constraints, ECOWAS was unable to organize a review meeting in 2016.
Following consultations with the ECOWAS TiP Unit, ICMPD organized the 2017 Annual Review Meeting held from 15 – 17 May 2017, in Abuja. The meeting aimed notably : (a) to present and discuss the forthcoming implementation of the new ECOWAS Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children; (b) to present and discuss the Annual Synthesis Report on TiP (Reference Year 2015) with Member States and determine future strategic priorities per country; (c) To provide a briefing to Member States on the progress of work at the ECOWAS TiP Unit and on linkages between the anti-TiP programme and Child Labour and Child Protection and (d) provide relevant training to the NFPs on data collection.
Thirty (30) participants from Member States and Mauritania attended the 3 days meeting along with experts from ICMPD, IOM, ILO, UNODC, ISS, and the French Government. Amongst other recommendations from the meeting, it is worth noting that: (i) Member States should ensure that their legislations follow International standards in combatting trafficking in persons. They should ensure that criminal procedures and rules of evidence are reviewed, especially the protection of witnesses; (ii) The ECOWAS Commission was urged to consider adoption of relevant instruments on combating migrant smuggling as a means of furthering the protection agenda relative to the Human Security aspirations of ECOWAS. The meeting validated the draft plan of action for combating of human trafficking 2018- 2023 and recommended same to ECOWAS ministers for adoption.
Following consultations with the ECOWAS, ICMPD organized in 2018 and 2019 two Annual Review Meetings held respectively on 26 – 28 November 2018 and 10 – 12 June 2019, in Abuja.
The objectives of the meeting held in November 2018:
The Project also assisted the TiP Unit in analysing the annual reports on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action, submitted by the NFPs. In consultation with the TiP Unit, the information contained in the reports was compiled and analysed to compose the Annual Synthesis Report for 2012-2013. The Report comprises an analysis of the implementation of the ECOWAS TiP Action Plan 2008 -2011 in the ECOWAS Member States and counter trafficking trends across the region.
As part of its support to the Annual Meeting, the Project provided the NFPs with a training from 24 – 25 July 2014. The results of the Baseline Assessment of the Capacity of the National Focal Points and the ECOWAS TiP Unit for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings informed the training component, thus ensuring that the training addressed the most significant priorities and gaps in existing knowledge among the target groups on counter-trafficking. A total of 47 people were engaged in the trainings including 8 trainers, representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the consortium partners and 31 participants from the 15 ECOWAS Member States. Mauritania was invited to participate as an observer in the Annual Review Meeting and as a participant in the training, but the designated representative cancelled his participation in both these events.
The participants rated the training as having a high quality and the topics and the knowledge that they gained very relevant.
The 2015 Annual Review Meeting took place from 27 – 29 July 2015 at the ECOWAS Commission. The Project again provided both technical expertise and logistical support to the ECOWAS TiP Unit. Two representatives from 13 ECOWAS Member States participated in the meeting. Cape Verde and Mali were unfortunately, not represented. However, the project organised the participation of two delegates from Mauritania as observers in the 2015 review meeting.
The project also supported the ECOWAS TiP Unit to compile the 2014 Annual Synthesis Report on the TIP situation across the region. The report is based on information provided by ECOWAS Member States, in their Annual Country Reports on the implementation of the ECOWAS Plan of Action, submitted every year by the NFPs. A total of 14 country reports for year 2014 were received from the NFPs, prior to the Meeting (except for Mali).
An additional training session was organised for the NFPs from 30 – 31 July 2015. Following recommendations on future training topics made by the NFPs during the 2014 training, the 2015 training sessions focused on (i) Legal Frameworks and forms of trafficking and (ii) TiP data collection and Research. The training team comprised experts from ICMPD, IOM, ILO, the ECOWAS Commission, UNODC and the West Africa Network on Child Protection (WAN/RAO), with a total of 28 participants from 13 ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania trained.
Between February and March 2016, the project worked with the ECOWAS TiP unit to develop a new Reporting Template for ECOWAS Member States. This new reporting template is in line with the new 2016 – 2022 ECOWAS Plan of Action, which was developed with the support of the project. The new Plan of Action and reporting template will be presented to the national focal points during the 2016 Annual Review Meeting, planned to take place in the second half of 2016.
The report of the ECOWAS 2014 and 2015 Annual TiP Review Meeting are attached ( 34 and 35), as well as the reports of the trainings that were provided to the NFPS ( 36 and 37). Due to budget constraints, ECOWAS was unable to organize a review meeting in 2016.
Following consultations with the ECOWAS TiP Unit, ICMPD organized the 2017 Annual Review Meeting held from 15 – 17 May 2017, in Abuja. The meeting aimed notably : (a) to present and discuss the forthcoming implementation of the new ECOWAS Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children; (b) to present and discuss the Annual Synthesis Report on TiP (Reference Year 2015) with Member States and determine future strategic priorities per country; (c) To provide a briefing to Member States on the progress of work at the ECOWAS TiP Unit and on linkages between the anti-TiP programme and Child Labour and Child Protection and (d) provide relevant training to the NFPs on data collection.
Thirty (30) participants from Member States and Mauritania attended the 3 days meeting along with experts from ICMPD, IOM, ILO, UNODC, ISS, and the French Government. Amongst other recommendations from the meeting, it is worth noting that: (i) Member States should ensure that their legislations follow International standards in combatting trafficking in persons. They should ensure that criminal procedures and rules of evidence are reviewed, especially the protection of witnesses; (ii) The ECOWAS Commission was urged to consider adoption of relevant instruments on combating migrant smuggling as a means of furthering the protection agenda relative to the Human Security aspirations of ECOWAS. The meeting validated the draft plan of action for combating of human trafficking 2018- 2023 and recommended same to ECOWAS ministers for adoption.
Following consultations with the ECOWAS, ICMPD organized in 2018 and 2019 two Annual Review Meetings held respectively on 26 – 28 November 2018 and 10 – 12 June 2019, in Abuja.
The objectives of the meeting held in November 2018:
- To present and discuss the implementation of the new ECOWAS Plan of action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, 2018-2022;
- To discuss the new reporting template on MS efforts on implementation of ECOWAS PA to combat Trafficking in Persons present and discuss the Annual Synthesis Report on TIP (Reference Years 2016 and 2017) with Member States and determine future strategic priorities per country
The objectives of the meeting held in June 2019:
- To review the Annual Reports submitted by ECOWAS Member States and develop the Annual Synthesis Report on TIP (Reference Year 2018) for the Region.
- To facilitate the identification of gaps, challenges and good practices and ensure cross-learning and collaboration between Member States in determining MS priorities for the period 2019 – 2020.
- To provide a briefing to Member States on the progress of work and support prospects at the Regional level in coordination with ECOWAS partners
Both meetings had in attendance representatives the ECOWAS Human Security and Civil Society Division, representatives from ECOWAS Member States (TIP focal points), FMM consortium partners, UNICEF and UNODC. It is worth mentioning that (1) ECOWAS will continue to advocate for a broader protection scheme for vulnerable groups in West Africa before they become victims;
(2) develop a Systematic process to measuring field impacts of Trafficking actions in all Member States and deepen the Peer Review process between MSs;
(3) develop a common Strategy to respond to the emerging trend of massive trafficking of persons from the ECOWAS Region to the Middle East/Gulf countries and
(4) propose a specific Plan of Action to support bilateral engagements between Nigeria and Mali in light of the alarming reports on the situation of numerous Nigerian victims of sexual exploitation in Mali.
Support the ECOWAS Commission in conducting an impact assessment of the previous Plan of Action and preparing a new Plan of Action on combating TIP
The impact assessment of ECOWAS previous plan of action to combat trafficking in persons took place from January to April 2014. The assessment covered the period between 2006 and 2012, after the ECOWAS TiP Unit was established at the ECOWAS Abuja Secretariat. However, some attention was also given to the earlier period when the ECOWAS Initial Plan of Action (2002-2003) was adopted by the West African leaders in 2001, and to the context in which it was adopted.
The assessment recommended that, consistent with other regional examples, a future plan of action should be for a five-year period – more time than was the case for the earlier ECOWAS plans of action – and for each of these five years, the plan should address a specific thematic priority, identifying relevant actions and success indicators.
The results of the impact assessment were presented at an Expert Meeting organized by the TiP Unit and the Project at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja on 3 April 2014. The report has been translated into the three ECOWAS languages. Hard copies of the report were also distributed to the ECOWAS Member States’ TiP National Focal Points and Mauritania at the ECOWAS TiP Annual Review Meeting in July 2014.
The assessment recommended that, consistent with other regional examples, a future plan of action should be for a five-year period – more time than was the case for the earlier ECOWAS plans of action – and for each of these five years, the plan should address a specific thematic priority, identifying relevant actions and success indicators.
The results of the impact assessment were presented at an Expert Meeting organized by the TiP Unit and the Project at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja on 3 April 2014. The report has been translated into the three ECOWAS languages. Hard copies of the report were also distributed to the ECOWAS Member States’ TiP National Focal Points and Mauritania at the ECOWAS TiP Annual Review Meeting in July 2014.
Strengthen the network of TIP national focal points and their functions within their respective Member States for the diffusion of ECOWAS principles on counter –trafficking
The ECOWAS baseline assessment on counter-trafficking conducted under Activity 1.5.1 included an assessment of the TiP national focal points (NFPs) and their functions within their respective Member States for the diffusion of ECOWAS principles on counter trafficking. The assessment identified gaps in the coordination and monitoring of the NFPs by the ECOWAS TiP Unit while also identifying the need for enhancing the knowledge of the NFPs on issues such as forced labour, trafficking for labour exploitation, migrant smuggling and irregular migration.
To address the gaps, a blended training was developed by the Project in partnership with the ITC-ILO to enhance NFPs ability to deliver national level trainings targeting multiple stakeholders in the countries targeted by the Project. The blended training consists of an online course and a face to face workshop, both to be delivered in 2015.
The online course for Anglophone and Francophone Members States held from 5 March to 8 May 2015, while the online course for the Lusophone Member State held from 20 April to 31 May 2015. A total of 36 participants (representing the NFPs and ECOWAS Commission) took part in the online course. The blended training modality enables the Project to maximize the number of training beneficiaries beyond the initial participants as the platform is expected to be accessed by greater number of beneficiaries across the region in throughout the duration of the Project.
The face to face workshop was held from the 1 – 5 February 2016 at Benin Royale Hotel in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. The workshop equipped participants with relevant tools to conduct national and field based trainings and transfer the skills gained during the online courses. A total number of 19 persons participated at the workshop. The participants comprised of 11 National Focal Points from 9 Member States, 2 ILO project staff, 1 ECOWAS regional Adviser, 2 participants from IOM and 2 Facilitators (1 from ILO ITC and 1 Consultant). The main objectives of the workshop was to enhance participants’ understanding on the principles of training adults (andragogy); introduce them to simple techniques that can be utilized to conduct training needs assessment; inform participants on suitable methodologies that can be utilized in various training settings as well as on topics related to social justice issues; have participants consider through simulated practice the different aspects to be tackled and key considerations to take into account when preparing and delivering training for stakeholder groups.
The various technical sessions discussed the following during the five days of the workshop including ice breaker techniques; Theory of Change; Review of key concepts from online course; Defining training needs; Defining training modalities: Identifying learning objectives, Setting the training agenda and developing session plans; Andragogy: Guiding principles for the training of adults; Group works on drafting learning objectives, the training agenda and session plans; Simulating the use of training methods and overview of training evaluation methods.
The main outcome of the training is that ECOWAS would like to sustain the online course by transforming it into a self-directed online course to be managed directly by ECOWAS, thus making it possible for the training to be made available to other counter trafficking actors. As the course would be self-directed, future trainees could be supported by volunteer tutors chosen from among the first cohort of TiP focal points who were trained in 2015-16. To that regard, ECOWAS will solicit ITC ILO’s technical assistance with regards to the development of a standardized training curriculum on counter trafficking. ILO is presently consulting with ECOWAS on the way forward.
The project recorded another outcome level result for the National Focal Point blended training programme. The trained National Focal Points from Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone reported on the step-down training programme they conducted in their respective countries. Over one hundred and ninety (190) stakeholders from the three countries were trained.
The discussion is ongoing concerning the step-down training at the National level. The ECOWAS TiP Unit plans to support the step-down training in at least 4 countries through the FMM project. The step down will commence from October 2017 to 2018.
The Step-down training programme commenced in November 2018 as planned. The step down was implemented in four countries namely: Guinea Conakry ((15th – 18th October 2018), Liberia (5th -8th November 2018), Gambia (10th to 14th December 2018) and Nigeria (28th to 31st January 2019). A total number of 161 persons were trained through the step-down workshop of the blended training programme in the four countries. The project may support other countries based on their request and availability of funds.
To further strengthen stakeholders at the national level in the elimination of trafficking in persons and child exploitation, The FMM West Africa project supported the establishment of Alliance 8.7 in Nigeria based on Nigeria’s commitment to achieve SDG 8.7. Nigeria in the 2017 had indicated interest to be a pathfinder country for the achievement of SDG 8.7. Alliance 8.7 is a global partnership for achieving Target 8.7 of Sustainable Development Goals aiming to eradicating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour around the world, it calls for full ratification and implementation of the Conventions and immediate action to address the remaining challenges so that the world community can get firmly on track towards eliminating all forms of child labour by 2025. The FMM West Africa project supported the establishment of a technical committee and the launch/ National Consultation of Alliance 8.7 in Nigeria which was held on the 9th of May 2019. The launch had over 200 participants comprised of the Vice President, Minister of Labour, Un Agencies, International organizations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Trade Unions, Employers Association, Nigeria Labour Congress, Non-Governmental Organizations and the Media. The consultation identified three priorities for intervention these are Supply chain, Migration and Conflict and Humanitarian crisis. Outcomes and Outputs for each of the priorities was also identified.
To address the gaps, a blended training was developed by the Project in partnership with the ITC-ILO to enhance NFPs ability to deliver national level trainings targeting multiple stakeholders in the countries targeted by the Project. The blended training consists of an online course and a face to face workshop, both to be delivered in 2015.
The online course for Anglophone and Francophone Members States held from 5 March to 8 May 2015, while the online course for the Lusophone Member State held from 20 April to 31 May 2015. A total of 36 participants (representing the NFPs and ECOWAS Commission) took part in the online course. The blended training modality enables the Project to maximize the number of training beneficiaries beyond the initial participants as the platform is expected to be accessed by greater number of beneficiaries across the region in throughout the duration of the Project.
The face to face workshop was held from the 1 – 5 February 2016 at Benin Royale Hotel in Cotonou, Republic of Benin. The workshop equipped participants with relevant tools to conduct national and field based trainings and transfer the skills gained during the online courses. A total number of 19 persons participated at the workshop. The participants comprised of 11 National Focal Points from 9 Member States, 2 ILO project staff, 1 ECOWAS regional Adviser, 2 participants from IOM and 2 Facilitators (1 from ILO ITC and 1 Consultant). The main objectives of the workshop was to enhance participants’ understanding on the principles of training adults (andragogy); introduce them to simple techniques that can be utilized to conduct training needs assessment; inform participants on suitable methodologies that can be utilized in various training settings as well as on topics related to social justice issues; have participants consider through simulated practice the different aspects to be tackled and key considerations to take into account when preparing and delivering training for stakeholder groups.
The various technical sessions discussed the following during the five days of the workshop including ice breaker techniques; Theory of Change; Review of key concepts from online course; Defining training needs; Defining training modalities: Identifying learning objectives, Setting the training agenda and developing session plans; Andragogy: Guiding principles for the training of adults; Group works on drafting learning objectives, the training agenda and session plans; Simulating the use of training methods and overview of training evaluation methods.
The main outcome of the training is that ECOWAS would like to sustain the online course by transforming it into a self-directed online course to be managed directly by ECOWAS, thus making it possible for the training to be made available to other counter trafficking actors. As the course would be self-directed, future trainees could be supported by volunteer tutors chosen from among the first cohort of TiP focal points who were trained in 2015-16. To that regard, ECOWAS will solicit ITC ILO’s technical assistance with regards to the development of a standardized training curriculum on counter trafficking. ILO is presently consulting with ECOWAS on the way forward.
The project recorded another outcome level result for the National Focal Point blended training programme. The trained National Focal Points from Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone reported on the step-down training programme they conducted in their respective countries. Over one hundred and ninety (190) stakeholders from the three countries were trained.
The discussion is ongoing concerning the step-down training at the National level. The ECOWAS TiP Unit plans to support the step-down training in at least 4 countries through the FMM project. The step down will commence from October 2017 to 2018.
The Step-down training programme commenced in November 2018 as planned. The step down was implemented in four countries namely: Guinea Conakry ((15th – 18th October 2018), Liberia (5th -8th November 2018), Gambia (10th to 14th December 2018) and Nigeria (28th to 31st January 2019). A total number of 161 persons were trained through the step-down workshop of the blended training programme in the four countries. The project may support other countries based on their request and availability of funds.
To further strengthen stakeholders at the national level in the elimination of trafficking in persons and child exploitation, The FMM West Africa project supported the establishment of Alliance 8.7 in Nigeria based on Nigeria’s commitment to achieve SDG 8.7. Nigeria in the 2017 had indicated interest to be a pathfinder country for the achievement of SDG 8.7. Alliance 8.7 is a global partnership for achieving Target 8.7 of Sustainable Development Goals aiming to eradicating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour around the world, it calls for full ratification and implementation of the Conventions and immediate action to address the remaining challenges so that the world community can get firmly on track towards eliminating all forms of child labour by 2025. The FMM West Africa project supported the establishment of a technical committee and the launch/ National Consultation of Alliance 8.7 in Nigeria which was held on the 9th of May 2019. The launch had over 200 participants comprised of the Vice President, Minister of Labour, Un Agencies, International organizations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Trade Unions, Employers Association, Nigeria Labour Congress, Non-Governmental Organizations and the Media. The consultation identified three priorities for intervention these are Supply chain, Migration and Conflict and Humanitarian crisis. Outcomes and Outputs for each of the priorities was also identified.
Elaborate tools to support ECOWAS Member States in conducting legislative reviews and establishing law enforcement mechanisms on counter-trafficking
A rapid assessment of the status of legislative reviews on counter-trafficking in the region was conducted in November 2014 in coordination with the EU Delegation and UNODC. Considering that legislative review tools on counter-trafficking have already been developed by UNODC, it was agreed with the EU Delegation in Abuja that Activity 1.5.6 will focus on the law enforcement aspect.
A quick scan of the status of law enforcement on counter-trafficking in the Member States revealed limited capacity as one of the biggest gaps in law enforcement. Limited human and financial resources in the Member States prevent focal institutions from acting upon information when they get it. Lack of operational equipment challenges effective anti-TiP responses. In view of the identified gap, the project developed the terms of reference to engage consultants in the development of relevant tools to support Member States in establishing collaborative law enforcement mechanisms whiting ECOWAS and Mauritania. Subsequently, two consultants were hired to study the coordination mechanisms in the enforcement of human trafficking laws and also develop tools to support Member States in establishing collaborative law enforcement mechanisms in the region.
In line with the terms of reference for the consultancy, the study was conducted, and the draft report reviewed by a technical team comprising of ECOWAS, ILO and ICMPD technical officers. The draft study was also discussed with some key officers from NAPTIP’s departments for their inputs. Afterwards, the Consultants reviewed the document based on the inputs provided at the technical meeting and the Member States. The final draft of the study, titled “Tools to Strengthen Cooperation Mechanisms in the enforcement of Laws against Human Trafficking in West Africa and Mauritania” was approved by the ECOWAS TIP Unit. ECOWAS approved the document which was edited and a clean edited document was submitted to ECOWAS Commission.
The project presented the report of the study and the identified tools at a meeting to strengthen sub- regional cooperation to fight against Trafficking in Persons in Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal under the DDF component. The responses from participants on the study indicated the importance and relevance of the tool. One success story to be reported was the action taken by NAPTIP after the discussion with the consultant. NAPTIP decided to collaborate with UNODC, under another EU funded project, to develop a Standard Operating Procedure for coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies’ response on Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria.
To operationalize the “Tools to Strengthen Cooperation Mechanisms in the enforcement of Laws against Human Trafficking in West Africa and Mauritania” ILO, in collaboration with ECOWAS, implemented activities to strengthen coordination mechanism of Law Enforcement agencies combating TIP in West Africa. In May 2018, a consultant was engaged to map out existing Law Enforcement Agencies working on eliminating Trafficking in Persons within the ECOWAS region and the Mauritania. From the 13 to 16 November 2018, at Lomé, Republic of Togo, a Regional Workshop to strengthen Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies involved in the Combat of Trafficking in Persons within ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania was implemented. The 60 participants at the workshop, comprising of Law enforcement officers and prosecutors, were trained on the developed tools to strengthen coordination mechanisms in the enforcement of human trafficking laws in West Africa and Mauritania. The workshop reviewed the ECOWAS counter trafficking in Persons Curriculum for Law Enforcement training and made recommendations for its improvement. Lastly, the workshop validated the regional Law enforcement TIP mapping conducted by the consultant and a security network in the combat of trafficking in persons in ECOWAS region was established
A quick scan of the status of law enforcement on counter-trafficking in the Member States revealed limited capacity as one of the biggest gaps in law enforcement. Limited human and financial resources in the Member States prevent focal institutions from acting upon information when they get it. Lack of operational equipment challenges effective anti-TiP responses. In view of the identified gap, the project developed the terms of reference to engage consultants in the development of relevant tools to support Member States in establishing collaborative law enforcement mechanisms whiting ECOWAS and Mauritania. Subsequently, two consultants were hired to study the coordination mechanisms in the enforcement of human trafficking laws and also develop tools to support Member States in establishing collaborative law enforcement mechanisms in the region.
In line with the terms of reference for the consultancy, the study was conducted, and the draft report reviewed by a technical team comprising of ECOWAS, ILO and ICMPD technical officers. The draft study was also discussed with some key officers from NAPTIP’s departments for their inputs. Afterwards, the Consultants reviewed the document based on the inputs provided at the technical meeting and the Member States. The final draft of the study, titled “Tools to Strengthen Cooperation Mechanisms in the enforcement of Laws against Human Trafficking in West Africa and Mauritania” was approved by the ECOWAS TIP Unit. ECOWAS approved the document which was edited and a clean edited document was submitted to ECOWAS Commission.
The project presented the report of the study and the identified tools at a meeting to strengthen sub- regional cooperation to fight against Trafficking in Persons in Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal under the DDF component. The responses from participants on the study indicated the importance and relevance of the tool. One success story to be reported was the action taken by NAPTIP after the discussion with the consultant. NAPTIP decided to collaborate with UNODC, under another EU funded project, to develop a Standard Operating Procedure for coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies’ response on Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria.
To operationalize the “Tools to Strengthen Cooperation Mechanisms in the enforcement of Laws against Human Trafficking in West Africa and Mauritania” ILO, in collaboration with ECOWAS, implemented activities to strengthen coordination mechanism of Law Enforcement agencies combating TIP in West Africa. In May 2018, a consultant was engaged to map out existing Law Enforcement Agencies working on eliminating Trafficking in Persons within the ECOWAS region and the Mauritania. From the 13 to 16 November 2018, at Lomé, Republic of Togo, a Regional Workshop to strengthen Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies involved in the Combat of Trafficking in Persons within ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania was implemented. The 60 participants at the workshop, comprising of Law enforcement officers and prosecutors, were trained on the developed tools to strengthen coordination mechanisms in the enforcement of human trafficking laws in West Africa and Mauritania. The workshop reviewed the ECOWAS counter trafficking in Persons Curriculum for Law Enforcement training and made recommendations for its improvement. Lastly, the workshop validated the regional Law enforcement TIP mapping conducted by the consultant and a security network in the combat of trafficking in persons in ECOWAS region was established
Support the ECOWAS Commission in elaborating policy guidelines for mainstreaming the concept of protection of people on the move within the ECOWAS space
A ToT took place in Saly (Senegal) from the 29th May to the 1st June 2018 for government officials on the Mixed Migration manual. The trainees were selected amongst lead national agencies in ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania in charge of humanitarian, protection and/or migrants’ rights. Participants were trained particularly on the notion of Mixed Migration and fundamental concepts, Migration related data sources, International human rights law and Mixed Migration, Regional context of Human Rights and protection frameworks, Refugee protection, Statelessness, protection of victims of trafficking and child migrants. The same trainees were then confirmed as members of the regional MIDWA working group on Mixed Migration.
Support the ECOWAS Commission’s capacity to provide guidance to Member States to address child protection challenges in relation to child mobility in West Africa
As part of the efforts to support the ECOWAS Commission, specifically its TiP Unit, in addressing child protection challenges in relation to child mobility in West Africa, the Project participated in and contributed to the meeting on “Child Protection in West Africa: Towards a Strengthened Regional Cooperation”, which took place from 14 – 16 July 2014 by the Regional Working Group for Child Protection and attended by the ECOWAS Commission, including the ECOWAS Commissioner for Humanitarian and Social Affairs and Gender. The Regional Working Group for Child Protection is a Dakar based network of international organizations and NGOs concerned with child protection work . 2 As part of its outcome report, the meeting produced the “Child Protection in West Africa: Plan of Action and Roadmap 2014 – 2015” which provides guidance to the Project’s follow-up planning and activities under this portfolio.
To further strengthen the Child protection system within the ECOWAS region, the project in coordination with the ECOWAS Commission organized a four-day Technical meeting, from the 24 to 27 November 2015, to develop guidelines for the implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Child Protection system in West Africa. The four-day meeting produced the first draft of the Guideline for the Implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework which was finalized in 2016.
The final technical review workshop on the draft guidelines for the implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Child Protection system in West Africa was held in Lagos from 18-24 January 2016 at the Dover Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria. Experts at the technical meeting gave their inputs which were incorporated appropriately into the document by the consultant. In February 2016, the final version of the document was submitted to ECOWAS for approval. At the technical meeting, it was noted that the ECOWAS Child Policy and its Plan of Action has lapsed and should be reviewed to harmonize its provisions with the monitoring and evaluation framework and the guideline accordingly. The Project then engaged a Consultant to support the ECOWAS Commission in the review and development of the ECOWAS Child Policy in collaboration with the Regional Working Group and Unicef.
The Guidelines for the implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Child Protection System in West Africa was presented to the Regional Working Group on child protection and it was agreed that the guideline should be incorporated into the M&E framework to form the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for strengthening National Child Protection Systems to prevent and respond to Violence, Abuse and Exploitation against Children in West Africa, covering the period 2018-2030. Thus, the consultant engaged, through the FMM project, facilitated the development of the strategic framework and its implementation guidelines.
On the Child Policy, ECOWAS in collaboration with ILO and UNICEF developed a roadmap for the review and validation of the policy which runs through to 2018 and ends at the Ministerial meeting. A Zero Draft ECOWAS Child Policy and its Plan of Action was developed and sent to ECOWAS, ILO and the FMM Project Support Unit (PSU) for input. A review meeting of the zero draft was scheduled for 17 – 21 July 2017 in Lagos and a presentation to the Regional Working Group on Child’s rights on from 26 – 27 July 2017 in Dakar .
The Meetings were organized as scheduled and an updated version of the Child Policy was submitted to ECOWAS Commission (reports of meetings are attached). The draft Child Policy was also reviewed by an independent Consultant (Unicef supported payment of the consultant) and the final draft of the reviewed ECOWAS Child Policy was validated by the child protection experts in the ECOWAS Region and adopted by the council of Ministers on the 25th of January 2019. ( 149)
The ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the Regional Working Group, which includes ILO, organized the Ministerial Meeting on Child Protection from the 2nd to 5th October 2018. The Meeting of Member States Experts from the 2nd to the 3rd of October 2017 was held to consider a number of priority issues, namely the validation of the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for Strengthening Child Protection Systems (CPS) to respond to, and prevent violence, abuse and exploitation, the declaration on the Response to the eradication of obstetric fistula in West Africa, the declaration on the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) and the impact of gender based violence (GBV) on Women, children and Youth in West Africa.
The Guidelines for the implementation of the strategic framework was also presented as an to the strategic framework. All the Member states participated but for Cape Verde. The Ministerial Meeting was conducted afterwards, and the strategic framework was adopted and the guideline as its . The guideline was also finalized and ready to be printed for use. Also, special sessions for the first ladies which was hosted by the first lady of the republic of Niger were also implemented and the first ladies pledges their involvement in the ensuring child protection within the region. Still in October 2017, the first ladies gathered with technical support from some UN agencies in Abidjan, including ILO, to host experts meeting, Ministerial meeting on ending child labour and trafficking in persons. A communique was also developed to affirm the commitment of the first ladies in this fight against child labour and trafficking in persons.
To operationalize the guidelines and strategic framework, A regional workshop was implemented in Lomé from the 1-5 April 2019 to present the strategic framework to Member States and also train them on how to use the guidelines in its implementation. Following the recommendation at the workshop, the project organized four stepdown workshops for National Stakeholders in Nigeria (17-21 June 2019), Sierra Leone (13th to 17th August 2019), Liberia (6th -10th August 2019) and Ghana (19th to 23rd August 2019). While the experts training in Lomé was specifically for officers from child protection and child labour, the step-down training incorporated actors from other agencies relevant to child protection and child labour at national level. A total number of 201 child labour and child protection experts at the national level participated at the workshop (Nigeria: 50, Liberia: 50, Sierra Leone: 44 & Ghana: 57). Report of the workshops attached as …
To further strengthen the Child protection system within the ECOWAS region, the project in coordination with the ECOWAS Commission organized a four-day Technical meeting, from the 24 to 27 November 2015, to develop guidelines for the implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Child Protection system in West Africa. The four-day meeting produced the first draft of the Guideline for the Implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework which was finalized in 2016.
The final technical review workshop on the draft guidelines for the implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Child Protection system in West Africa was held in Lagos from 18-24 January 2016 at the Dover Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria. Experts at the technical meeting gave their inputs which were incorporated appropriately into the document by the consultant. In February 2016, the final version of the document was submitted to ECOWAS for approval. At the technical meeting, it was noted that the ECOWAS Child Policy and its Plan of Action has lapsed and should be reviewed to harmonize its provisions with the monitoring and evaluation framework and the guideline accordingly. The Project then engaged a Consultant to support the ECOWAS Commission in the review and development of the ECOWAS Child Policy in collaboration with the Regional Working Group and Unicef.
The Guidelines for the implementation of the ECOWAS Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Child Protection System in West Africa was presented to the Regional Working Group on child protection and it was agreed that the guideline should be incorporated into the M&E framework to form the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for strengthening National Child Protection Systems to prevent and respond to Violence, Abuse and Exploitation against Children in West Africa, covering the period 2018-2030. Thus, the consultant engaged, through the FMM project, facilitated the development of the strategic framework and its implementation guidelines.
On the Child Policy, ECOWAS in collaboration with ILO and UNICEF developed a roadmap for the review and validation of the policy which runs through to 2018 and ends at the Ministerial meeting. A Zero Draft ECOWAS Child Policy and its Plan of Action was developed and sent to ECOWAS, ILO and the FMM Project Support Unit (PSU) for input. A review meeting of the zero draft was scheduled for 17 – 21 July 2017 in Lagos and a presentation to the Regional Working Group on Child’s rights on from 26 – 27 July 2017 in Dakar .
The Meetings were organized as scheduled and an updated version of the Child Policy was submitted to ECOWAS Commission (reports of meetings are attached). The draft Child Policy was also reviewed by an independent Consultant (Unicef supported payment of the consultant) and the final draft of the reviewed ECOWAS Child Policy was validated by the child protection experts in the ECOWAS Region and adopted by the council of Ministers on the 25th of January 2019. ( 149)
The ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the Regional Working Group, which includes ILO, organized the Ministerial Meeting on Child Protection from the 2nd to 5th October 2018. The Meeting of Member States Experts from the 2nd to the 3rd of October 2017 was held to consider a number of priority issues, namely the validation of the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for Strengthening Child Protection Systems (CPS) to respond to, and prevent violence, abuse and exploitation, the declaration on the Response to the eradication of obstetric fistula in West Africa, the declaration on the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) and the impact of gender based violence (GBV) on Women, children and Youth in West Africa.
The Guidelines for the implementation of the strategic framework was also presented as an to the strategic framework. All the Member states participated but for Cape Verde. The Ministerial Meeting was conducted afterwards, and the strategic framework was adopted and the guideline as its . The guideline was also finalized and ready to be printed for use. Also, special sessions for the first ladies which was hosted by the first lady of the republic of Niger were also implemented and the first ladies pledges their involvement in the ensuring child protection within the region. Still in October 2017, the first ladies gathered with technical support from some UN agencies in Abidjan, including ILO, to host experts meeting, Ministerial meeting on ending child labour and trafficking in persons. A communique was also developed to affirm the commitment of the first ladies in this fight against child labour and trafficking in persons.
To operationalize the guidelines and strategic framework, A regional workshop was implemented in Lomé from the 1-5 April 2019 to present the strategic framework to Member States and also train them on how to use the guidelines in its implementation. Following the recommendation at the workshop, the project organized four stepdown workshops for National Stakeholders in Nigeria (17-21 June 2019), Sierra Leone (13th to 17th August 2019), Liberia (6th -10th August 2019) and Ghana (19th to 23rd August 2019). While the experts training in Lomé was specifically for officers from child protection and child labour, the step-down training incorporated actors from other agencies relevant to child protection and child labour at national level. A total number of 201 child labour and child protection experts at the national level participated at the workshop (Nigeria: 50, Liberia: 50, Sierra Leone: 44 & Ghana: 57). Report of the workshops attached as …
To strengthen the elimination of Child Labour and the achievement of SDG 8.7, the project, in collaboration with the ACCEL Africa project , engaged the services of a Consultant to review of the ECOWAS 2012-2015 Regional Action Plan (RAP) and the development of a new RAP. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the level of implementation of the 2012-2015 Regional Action Plan, with a view to having an operational Regional Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour in the West African region which is aligned with the Africa Union Plan towards the Eradication of Child Labour and Modern Slavery and also the ECOWAS Child Protection Strategic Framework. The project engaged the services of a Consultant to support the work. The Consultant have submitted the report mainstreaming the inputs from the ECOWAS Commission, ILO and other child labour actors within the region. The final draft was to be presented at a regional validation meeting scheduled for March 2020, but unfortunately, due to covid-19 pandemic, the meeting was postponed and rescheduled to be held on the 31st of August 2020, as a virtual regional validation meeting.
Support the EU/ECOWAS political dialogue on migration through the revitalization of the activities of the joint working group created in 2007
A Joint EU-ECOWAS Working Group was created in 2007 to facilitate political dialogue at regional level, support decision-making and follow-up at the EU-ECOWAS Ministerial Troika level in the area of migration. According to the Description of the Action, the Project should support the EU/ECOWAS political dialogue on migration through the revitalization of the activities of this joint working group created in 2007. Consultations with the EU Delegation and the ECOWAS Commission have taken place to define the nature of the support expected from the Project for the EU/ECOWAS political dialogue on migration.
As part of this activity the EU Delegation proposed a series of three meetings to prepare for the Valletta Summit on migration in Malta in November 2015. The first meeting, titled Migration and Mobility, took place at the EU Delegation on 28 September 2015 and gathered the EU Member States based in Abuja. IOM gave a presentation on the Project and ICMPD gave a presentation on migration flows from West Africa to Europe. Discussions between the EU Delegation and EU Member States on migration trends and flows from Africa to Europe followed. Two further meetings between the EU Delegation and the ECOWAS Commission were planned. The EU Delegation sent a letter to the ECOWAS Commission President on 1 September 2015 and requested a meeting between the EU Delegation and the ECOWAS directors in charge of the Free Movement and Tourism, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, and External Affairs directorates on 2 October 2015, and a meeting with their commissioners on 20 October 2015, to fine tune priorities for the Malta summit. These meetings were to be supported by this activity. The ECOWAS Commission, however, did not officially respond to the request and the meetings did not take place.
Following the Valletta Summit in November 2015, ECOWAS requested that the project supported a meeting on the implementation of the Valletta Action plan by ECOWAS Member States. The meeting took place from 9 – 11 February 2016 in Accra, Ghana, and brought together representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, Government and Civil Society in the 15 ECOWAS Member States, the EUD in Ghana, EU Embassies in Ghana and international organizations. The first two days of the meeting was dedicated to discussing initiatives that fall within the five areas of the Valletta Action Plan, by the ECOWAS Member States, ECOWAS Commission, civil society organizations and key partners (50 participants). The third day of the meeting was dedicated to presenting the initiatives for the implementation of the Valletta Action Plan, to potential donors, EUD, EU embassies and development partners, by ECOWAS Member States (62 participants). Presentations were made by the EU Head of Cooperation in Ghana and by ICMPD on the available EU funding instruments. The meeting was concluded with discussions on mechanisms to enhance coordination among migration stakeholders and how the identified initiatives can be mobilized.
As part of this activity the EU Delegation proposed a series of three meetings to prepare for the Valletta Summit on migration in Malta in November 2015. The first meeting, titled Migration and Mobility, took place at the EU Delegation on 28 September 2015 and gathered the EU Member States based in Abuja. IOM gave a presentation on the Project and ICMPD gave a presentation on migration flows from West Africa to Europe. Discussions between the EU Delegation and EU Member States on migration trends and flows from Africa to Europe followed. Two further meetings between the EU Delegation and the ECOWAS Commission were planned. The EU Delegation sent a letter to the ECOWAS Commission President on 1 September 2015 and requested a meeting between the EU Delegation and the ECOWAS directors in charge of the Free Movement and Tourism, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, and External Affairs directorates on 2 October 2015, and a meeting with their commissioners on 20 October 2015, to fine tune priorities for the Malta summit. These meetings were to be supported by this activity. The ECOWAS Commission, however, did not officially respond to the request and the meetings did not take place.
Following the Valletta Summit in November 2015, ECOWAS requested that the project supported a meeting on the implementation of the Valletta Action plan by ECOWAS Member States. The meeting took place from 9 – 11 February 2016 in Accra, Ghana, and brought together representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, Government and Civil Society in the 15 ECOWAS Member States, the EUD in Ghana, EU Embassies in Ghana and international organizations. The first two days of the meeting was dedicated to discussing initiatives that fall within the five areas of the Valletta Action Plan, by the ECOWAS Member States, ECOWAS Commission, civil society organizations and key partners (50 participants). The third day of the meeting was dedicated to presenting the initiatives for the implementation of the Valletta Action Plan, to potential donors, EUD, EU embassies and development partners, by ECOWAS Member States (62 participants). Presentations were made by the EU Head of Cooperation in Ghana and by ICMPD on the available EU funding instruments. The meeting was concluded with discussions on mechanisms to enhance coordination among migration stakeholders and how the identified initiatives can be mobilized.