Activities

In Cairo, Egypt, from 17 – 18 April 2024, the Khartoum Process partners convened for their 10th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), following a Steering Committee (SC) meeting on 16 April. The event drew 76 participants representing 26 African and European countries, along with 12 partner organisations. Key figures such as Assistant Minister Ehab Badawy of Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outgoing chair Mr. Manfred Schüler of Germany's Federal Foreign Office, and representatives from the African Union Commission, European Union and ICMPD were present.

Co-hosted by Kenya and Germany, the Thematic Workshop on Enhancing Transnational Law Enforcement Partnerships on Combatting Trafficking in Persons was held on 7 – 8 February 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. This event was a pivotal gathering that focused on strengthening transnational law enforcement efforts against human trafficking in the Khartoum Process region. This workshop brought together experts and officials from various countries and organisations, including UNODC, the Regional Operational Centre (ROCK), Frontex, the East African Community (EAC) and ICMPD, among others. The primary objectives were to exchange knowledge, raise awareness about the advantages of cross-border police cooperation, and encourage the development of formalised anti-trafficking partnerships. The workshop featured presentations, panel discussions, and case studies highlighting the necessity of comprehensive strategies and collaboration across borders.

On 14-15 November 2023, member States of the Khartoum Process gathered in Stockholm upon the initiative of Sweden and Somalia to discuss whole-of-government approaches on migration.

Responding to a variety of current migration challenges requires a wide range of government actions. Return, readmission, and reintegration are only a part of wider migration policies, which include other elements such as protection, labour migration and skills development, the migration and development nexus etc. As recalled by the Sustainable Development Goals Indicator 10.7.2 and the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration para 15, migration is a multidimensional topic that cannot be addressed by one policy sector alone. In practice planned and well-managed migration policies thus require a comprehensive “whole-of-government” approach. The Joint Valletta Action Plan (JVAP) includes such an approach throughout its five domains, where partnerships, cooperation and coordination amongst institutions are underlined throughout the Action Plan.

On 4-5 October 2023, the Khartoum Process Flagship Thematic Meeting on “Exploring the Potential of Mobility in the Context of Climate Change” took place in Berlin, Germany, co-chaired by Germany and the African Union Commission. Building on the priority outlined during the Chairmanship of South Sudan on the nexus between human mobility and climate change, Germany, the current Chair of the Khartoum Process, has picked up the thread with various events on the topic that culminated into the Khartoum Process flagship thematic meeting on 4-5 October 2023, in Berlin, Germany.

The meeting brought together approx. 100 participants from the Khartoum Process and Rabat Process member States, as well as experts from international organisations and civil society organisations to discuss the opportunities and challenges stemming from the mobility and climate change nexus, whilst paying particular attention to the situation of women and children. 

An extraordinary Steering Committee (SC) Meeting took place on 7 September 2023 in Vienna, Austria to provide an update on the state of play of the Process but also, to discuss further the modalities of the Steering Committee composition and its enlargement. The Committee reiterated their decision to enlarge the Steering Committee from 10 to 12 members, with a sixth member joining from each continent on a permanent basis. To operationalise this decision, the Khartoum Process Secretariat will launch a call for interest. Furthermore, it was agreed that the Rules odd Procedure will be update to include an additional clause that will allow Steering Committee members to select a Chair from outside the SC. The draft text along with the applications for candidature will be proposed and discussed during the 16^th Steering Committee Meeting in Cairo. This Meeting was followed by a Roundtable on the Implications of the Crisis in Sudan on Migration Flows in the Region, which provided a platform for Khartoum Process member states and organisations to share their perspectives on the situation in Sudan with a particular focus on its impact on migration realities in the region. The discussion contributed to a better understanding of the complex mixed migration flows.

Over 60 representatives from the Khartoum Process participating States, international and regional organisations as well as academia and civil society representatives met in Nairobi, Kenya on 4 – 5 July 2023. Hosted by Kenya and co-hosted by Germany, the thematic meeting of the Khartoum Process entitled Building Resilience and Ensuring the Protection of and Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The two-day discussions provided participants with a deeper understanding of internal displacement dynamics and intersecting issues, particularly within East Africa and the Horn of Africa region. Participants could explore durable solutions to internal displacement and discuss possible ways forward in line with the UN Action Agenda on internal displacement.

On 3 - 4 May 2023, Uganda hosted the Khartoum Process Thematic Workshop on Data on Human Mobility in the context of Climate Change, attracting over 50 representatives from diverse backgrounds, including academia, government, NGOs, and international organisations. The workshop provided a unique opportunity for attendees to exchange knowledge and engage in discussions about the latest research and trends in climate displacement and migration data.

The workshop's agenda was filled with exciting and informative sessions. Existing actors in the climate displacement and mobility data research world presented their latest findings and shared their experiences. The presentations covered a range of topics, including the latest data on climate change-induced migration, the challenges of collecting and analysing climate migration data, and best practices for using data to inform policy decisions.

On 16 March 2023, Khartoum Process partners met for the 9^th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), which was preceded by a Steering Committee (SC) Meeting on the afternoon of 15 March and a reception dinner organised by the host of the two events, the German Federal Foreign Office, at the Berlin Red City Hall. The reception featured welcoming remarks by Ms Sibylle Katharina Sorg, Director General for European Affairs, German Federal Foreign Office, Ms Ana-Maria Trǎsnea, State Secretary for International Relations of the Federal State of Berlin, and Honourable Mary Ayen Majok, Deputy Speaker of the Council of States, as representative of the outgoing Chair of the Process, South Sudan.

The Senior Officials’ Meeting featured the Chairmanship handover from South Sudan to Germany, who presented their priorities for the year ahead. Among other priority areas, the German chairmanship will focus on human mobility in the context of climate change and the protection of internally displaced people. As a cross-cutting theme and in line with Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy Guidelines, gender-specific issues will receive special attention.