The Khartoum Process commits to covening as categorised (see 'In Action' section of the website) and as per agreed according to the Declaration and its fight against human trafficking and people smuggling in the Horn of Africa through its activities and projects.
For further key developments since the establishment of the Process please see the 'News and Events' Section of the website here.
Partner countries convene the first informal Working Level Group (iWLG) in Paris on 25 February 2016. They recognise the importance of convening thematic meetings on key priority themes defined by the Valletta Action Plan and the Rome Declaration.
The first Thematic meeting - to be hosted by Sudan in May 2016 and co-convened by the United Kingdom, will focus on migrant smuggling and human trafficking. Other priority themes are defined, including visa facilitation and intra-African migration and return, readmission and reintegration.
Building on the momentum given by the Valletta Summit, partner countries convene their first Steering Committee and Senior Officials Meeting on 23-24 November in London, United Kingdom.
Participating States further align priority actions defined in the Valletta Action Plan with those of the Rome Declaration. They also create informal Working Level Group (iWLG) to support and monitor the implementation of the defined priorities.
At the Valletta Summit on migration, that takes place in Malta on 11-12 November 2015, partner countries mandate the Khartoum Process, like other mechanisms, to map relevant ongoing and proposed multilateral and bilateral projects and monitor the implementation of the concrete actions included in the Valletta Action Plan for the period 2016-2018.
The African Union endorses the AU Horn of Africa Initiative (AU-HoAI) on human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.
Members of the Steering Committee of the Khartoum Process hold their first meeting on 23-24 April 2015, in Sharm El-Sheikh and list ongoing and proposed projects to be implemented as part of the Dialogue. They also adopt their Rules of Procedures.
A Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) takes place in Rome, Italy in 13-14 November 2014 ahead of the Rome Ministerial Conference on 28 November 2014 where partner countries adopted the Rome Declaration and officially launched the EU/Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative or Khartoum Process.
Partner countries agree to assist the States affected by human trafficking and migrant smuggling between the Horn of Africa and Europe "through concrete actions, in a spirit of partnership, shared responsibility and cooperation".
Ministers from the following countries and organisations signed the Rome Declaration: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia and United Kingdom, and the European and African Union (AU) Commissioners in charge of migration and development, as well as the EU High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission, in the presence of Norway and Switzerland.
At the African Union Regional Ministerial Conference, which took place from 13-16 October 2014, in Khartoum, Sudan, ministers from 15 countries of origin, transit and destination affected by migrations along the routes in the Horn of Africa call for stronger collaborative approach to tackle human trafficking and people smuggling in the region.
The landmark meeting brings together partner organisations such as International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (RMMS).
The African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Commission (EC) convene, in May 2014 in Khartoum, Sudan, a preparatory meeting to a Regional Conference on Human Trafficking and People Smuggling that will take place in November 2014.
Starting in 2012, the engagement of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan as core countries affected by human trafficking incidents, in particular by the abduction and abuses of nationals from East Africa and the Horn in the Sinai and Yemen deserts, lays the groundwork for the establishment of African Union HoA Initiative and of the Khartoum Process in 2014.
