African government leaders and top officials adopted a joint declaration on coordinating migration policies during a high-level conference in Benghazi concluding Tuesday.
The Benghazi Declaration 2024 capped the two-day African International Migration Conference hosted by the Libyan government appointed by the House of Representatives. Attending the strategic dialogue were the president of the Pan-African Parliament, the prime minister Osama Hammad, foreign ministers from Niger, 30 African and European parliamentarians, academics and civil society advocates.
“We reaffirm our commitment to coordinate positions and unify African efforts collectively in advocating for an international migration policy that provides innovative solutions,” the declaration read. It outlined approaches for transforming migration flows into sustainable development opportunities between origin, transit and destination countries.
The document also called for an African Union summit on implementing its Common Migration Agenda through unified negotiating positions with Europe. It asks Libya to spearhead new migration talks with European leaders. Additionally, it emphasized addressing root causes encouraging irregular migration.
Economic empowerment enabling safe, legal migration was another key theme. Leaders advocated for a proposed Euro-African Employment Platform aimed at protecting labor rights.
The attending state officials and policymakers thanked Libya for its hospitality in hosting the diplomatic meeting in Benghazi, recently dubbed “the city of peace.”
A newly formed follow-up committee on realizing the adopted commitments will organize additional high-level meetings between African and European migration authorities in the coming months.