On International Migrants Day, a coalition of four African national human rights bodies issued a joint call for governments to formally adopt and implement the principal United Nations treaty protecting migrant workers and their families.
The statement, released on December 18, 2025, comes from the human rights commissions of Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zambia.
They appeal for a fundamental shift toward rights-based migration governance, and warn that the migration is fueled by conflict, climate change, and limited legal pathways, leaving migrants exposed to grave risks like trafficking and violence.
“We call upon the national governments to adopt a human rights-based approach in migration governance,” reads the statement, urging governments to ratify and implement the international convention and faithfully implement the Global Compact for Migration.
“We urge member states to form and expand bilateral and multilateral agreements,” reads the statement. It also specifies these agreements must be rights-based, gender-inclusive, child-centered, and disability-responsive.
The coalition also called for the creation of platforms to enhance cooperation on migrant protection along the southern corridor, which runs from East to southern Africa, and reaffirmed a commitment to document migrant experiences and violations to recommend redress.
Issued in commemoration of International Migrants Day, the statement reiterates that member states have a legal obligation to uphold human rights for everyone under national and international law.
Mehreteab Ghebremeskel, director for IDP, refugee, and migrant rights at the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), explained that the ratification of the International Convention has been an ongoing subject of discussion.
“It has been agreed upon in many stages,” he said. “The process is currently ongoing and discussions have been happening for quite some time at the level of the Ministry of Justice.”
He confirmed the process follows from agreements made within the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and said ratification is the responsibility of the ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs, with EHRC conducting advocacy.
Mehreteab observes that while national laws, including the constitution, provide a framework for protecting migrants, the formal ratification of international agreements would serve to strengthen these protections.
