A coalition of key Ethiopian government institutions has solidified a landmark partnership to revolutionize migration data management, significantly improving governance and evidence-based policymaking.
Addis Ababa, today witnessed the formal signing of a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a crucial Protocol, signifying a united commitment to address the complexities of migration with greater clarity and precision.
The historic agreement, forged between the Ethiopian Statistical Service and eleven diverse agencies responsible for generating migration-related data, aims to transform Ethiopia's approach to understanding population movements. These institutions, including the Refugees and Returnees Service, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Peace, Justice, Labour and Skills, and Women and Social Affairs, are joining forces to bridge critical gaps in data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
Other key players signing the agreement include the Ethiopian Federal Police, the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, the Immigration and Citizenship Service, and the National Identification Program.
This comprehensive collaboration is poised to shift from a fragmented approach to a harmonized, national system.
The core objective of the MOU and Protocol is to convert scattered, often inaccessible, and under utilized migration data into actionable insights.
This initiative seeks to establish a robust coordination mechanism between the involved institutions, enabling them to properly collect, analyze, and generate timely, nationally representative migration statistics.
This means moving beyond disparate data pockets and towards a unified resource, benefiting policymakers, researchers, and the public alike.
This improved data infrastructure will directly support the Ethiopian government's policy objectives by providing a solid base for informed decision-making, aligning with the nation's ambitious 10-year plan. Furthermore, the enhanced migration data will play a vital role in tracking progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the objectives outlined in the International Compact on Refugees, and the International Compact for Migration, as well as contributing to regional initiatives within the East African Development Community (EAC).
Ethiopia’s commitment to this collaboration underscores its dedication to international best practices. This move directly responds to a pledge made at the 2nd Refugee Forum in December 2023, where the nation committed to including refugee data within the national statistical framework a commitment demonstrating its proactive stance on the global migration agenda.
The Refugees and Returnees Service, in particular, has taken a leading role, pledging to provide essential financial, technical, and material support, emphasizing the critical importance it places on the successful implementation of this partnership. Building upon existing efforts, the Service, with vital financial backing from the European Union, has already established a modern reception centre at Bole International Airport and a robust database to register returning migrants.
This system not only bolsters the reception process but also demonstrates a commitment to ownership and sustainability through information and communication technology solutions.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ethiopia Office has played a crucial role in facilitating this significant advancement, providing both financial and technical support throughout the development and signing of the agreement. This reinforces the vital importance of international partnerships in achieving national goals related to migration management, according to the information from RRS.