High-level representatives from 45 partner countries and international organisations met in Portugal on 29-30 January 2025 to culminate the country’s Chairmanship of the Rabat Process, and hand the Chairmanship over to Nigeria for 2025. Portugal is the second country to chair the Dialogue since the adoption of the current multi-annual strategic framework, the Cadiz Action Plan 2023-2027.
Nigeria looks forward to collaborating closely with all partner countries and stakeholders to achieve meaningful outcomes during our tenure. Together, we can continue the consensus that has defined the Rabat Process, delivering impactful results that will shape the future of migration governance.said His Excellency Prof Nentawe G Yilwatda, Nigeria’s Federal Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction
Nigeria’s chairmanship of the Rabat Process will focus on stronger regional and bilateral partnerships, enhanced policy coherence, and meaningful outcomes across the region. Key priorities will include addressing climate-induced mobility, combating human trafficking, and enhancing reintegration.
Portugal’s Chairmanship prioritised diaspora engagement, mobility schemes for sustainable development, and innovative pathways for skills mobility, emphasising stronger cooperation between Africa and Europe. In 2024, the Rabat Process centred on three priority areas in the Cadiz Action Plan, with particular focus on developing the benefits of migration and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement; regular migration and mobility; and protection and asylum.
A key achievement was reinforcing synergies with the Khartoum Process, through the Joint High-Level Meeting on Innovative Pathways and Skills Mobility last October in Lisbon, co-chaired by Egypt. Diverse meeting formats were introduced, including a side event with 10 civil society organisations, and a learning visit to the University of Cabo Verde’s National Migration Observatory. The Portuguese Chairmanship also allowed senior representatives from partner countries to develop innovative policy recommendations, enhance visibility, and foster a legacy of inclusiveness and results-driven engagement.
Cultivating relations with African countries has been a priority for Portugal. We value opportunities for cooperation and dialogue with our partners, and we recognise the importance and responsibility of presiding over this Process, which provides us all with a space of excellence, where African and European countries can work together on issues of common interest, in the multiple dimensions of migration.said HE Rui Armindo Freitas, Portugal’s Deputy Minister for the Presidency
In 2024, the Network of National Focal Points for Missing Migrants was launched in the framework of the Rabat Process. Organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with support from Switzerland, The Gambia, and Rabat Process Secretariat, it strengthens government efforts to search and identify missing migrants by enhancing cross-border cooperation, transnational collaboration, and sharing information through National Focal Points. ICMPD also co-organised activities with Portugal’s chairmanship in 2024, including the Thematic Meeting on Regular Migration and Mobility-Mobility Schemes, and the Thematic Meeting on Migration and Development-Entrepreneurship and Diaspora Engagement.
We thank the Government of Portugal for its successful and productive Chairmanship in 2024, and we look forward to continuing this with the Chairmanship of Nigeria in 2025. ICMPD remains committed to supporting the Dialogue and furthering its goals, leveraging its long-standing expertise and operational presence in the [Rabat Process] region to translate discussions into actionable outcomes.said Sedef Dearing, ICMPD Deputy Director General and Head of the Migration Dialogues and Cooperation
Dialogue facilitation is at the very heart of our mission. It is the foundation on which we build trust, foster mutual understanding, and bring diverse perspectives together to address the complex challenges of migration. Ultimately, we aim to make migration better – for individuals, communities, and nations – through a balanced, inclusive, and results-driven approach.Ms Dearing concluded
Nigeria will collaborate with partner countries to develop a comprehensive agenda that highlight the benefits of migration, particularly emphasising youth innovation, diaspora engagement, and regular migration pathways. Additionally, the Chairmanship will lead efforts to strengthen regional and national frameworks for combating human trafficking while also prioritising improvements in data management to enhance migration governance.
Sedef Dearing, ICMPD Deputy Director General and Head of the Migration Dialogues and Cooperation