About

The African Migration Observatory is a Specialized Technical Office of the African Union based in Rabat Morocco, created in 2018, Assembly/AU/Dec.695 (XXXI)) and launched on 18 December 2020.

Mandate:

To improve the overall migration governance regime in Africa;

Objectives

1. Provide the Continent with centralized, harmonized, timely and quality migration data for further research, policy formulation, programming and monitoring & evaluation to improve the overall migration governance regime in Africa.
2. Advance the knowledge base of the African Continent on migration and mobility.
3. Contribute to evidence-based interventions on migration in Africa.
4. Contribute on the harmonization and dissemination of quality and timely migration statistics.

Core Functions and Activities of the Observatory

1. In order to attain the above objectives, the Observatory shall function in accordance with the following provisions;

1. Working in collaboration with the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration, Continental Operational Centre for Combating Irregular Migration, the African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC), national bureaux of statistics and migration data hubs in Africa and beyond, the Observatory shall have the following core functions:

1. Develop migration data collection tools, plan and execute surveillance systems for monitoring migratory flows on the continent;
2. Collect and analyze migration data and compile periodic reports on migration trends and patterns in Africa and between Africa and other regions;
3. Prepare and disseminate reports on the state of migration in Africa;
4. Establish a continental platform for sharing and disseminating data on migration;
5. Establish regional migration data hubs in the 5 regions of the African Union;
6. Monitor and evaluate the migration data information systems of Member States, RECs and migration data hubs on the Continent;
7. Provide technical assistance, training and capacity building on migration data collection and analysis to Member States and RECs;
8. Establish and promote cooperation and networking among national, regional and continental data and statistical bureaus responsible for collecting and compiling migration data.

Structure of the Observatory

The organizational structure of the Observatory will ensure that the technical institute operates at the envisaged capacity required to respond to capacitating Member States/RECs to harmonize and collect migration data, and meet the migration data needs of the Continent for the achievement of the Agenda 2063 and the Strategy of the Harmonization of Statistics in Africa (SHaSA 2). 

Governance of the Observatory

The Observatory shall comprise the following bodies:

• The Governing Board;
• The Secretariat.

Functions of the Governing Board

1. Reporting to the Executive Council, the Board shall be the highest governance body of, and shall have overall oversight of the Observatory;
2. The functions of the Governing Board (the Board) shall be to:

1. Oversee the overall governance of the Observatory;
2. Provide strategic guidance to the Secretariat;
3. Consider and approve the Observatory’s strategic plans, annual action plans and budgets;
4. Oversee the implementation of strategic plans, including financial and budgetary issues;
5. Recommend amendments to the Statute of the Observatory;
6. Assist the Secretariat in mobilizing resources to ensure that the Observatory fulfils its mandate;
7. Submit annual reports to the AU Policy Organs on the activities of the Observatory.