Ministers and senior experts from across the Horn of Africa have gathered in Nairobi for the Third IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labor, Employment and Labor Migration, under the theme “Improving Labor Migration and Mobility Governance for Prosperity in the IGAD Region.”

The three-day conference, held from October 20–22, 2025, aims to accelerate regional efforts toward fair, safe, and productive labor mobility within and beyond the IGAD region.

The high-level event, hosted at the Argyle Hotel in Nairobi, brings together ministers of labor and interior from the eight IGAD member states—Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda—alongside representatives from the African Union, International Labor Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the European Union (EU).

The meeting builds on the Djibouti Declaration of 2021 and its Plan of Action, which remain the region’s central framework for promoting decent work and protecting the rights of migrant workers.

In opening remarks, dignitaries, including Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Labor and Social Protection, Dr. Alfred N. Mutua, and the EU Ambassador to IGAD underscored the urgency of strengthening regional labor migration systems to respond to the growing challenges of unemployment, forced migration, and exploitation.

The IGAD Secretariat emphasized that while the region’s GDP per capita rose by 7 percent between 2021 and 2022, this growth has not yet translated into meaningful job creation for the 60 percent of its population who are of working age.

The Horn of Africa remains one of Africa’s most dynamic yet complex migration hubs. Official figures show that international migration in the region grew from 3.6 million in 2012 to 7.5 million in 2022, with the majority being workers seeking livelihoods abroad, particularly in the Middle East.

However, limited legal migration channels have forced many to take irregular routes, exposing them to abuse and exploitation. Over the past decade, more than 3,400 migrants have died or gone missing along the Red Sea route between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Against this backdrop, ministers will deliberate on three core themes: strengthening governance of labor and employment across IGAD, addressing the challenges of irregular migration through the Red Sea Route, and advancing the IGAD Single Visa Initiative, a bold step toward facilitating free movement and regional integration. The visa initiative seeks to establish a harmonized digital visa system and regional biometric ID card to promote trade, tourism, and labor mobility within the bloc.

The Single Visa Initiative could transform IGAD into one of the most integrated and mobile regions in Africa. It will ease border procedures, stimulate investment and tourism, and position the Horn of Africa as a competitive global destination.

The proposed system mirrors successful visa harmonization models from the East African Community and ECOWAS, where simplified travel frameworks have boosted trade and cross-border cooperation.

Experts from all eight IGAD member states began their technical deliberations on October 20–21, presenting updates on the seven pillars of the Djibouti Declaration, which include skills development, employment promotion, gender equality, social dialogue, and protection of migrant workers. Their recommendations will feed into the ministerial deliberations on October 22, culminating in the Nairobi Communiqué, which will outline renewed commitments and joint actions.

As the conference concludes, ministers are expected to reaffirm their pledge to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration while promoting decent work for all. The outcomes of the Nairobi meeting are anticipated to mark a new chapter in regional cooperation, advancing IGAD’s broader vision of prosperity, integration, and shared development across the Horn of Africa.