IOM Zimbabwe launches a 4 Year Mission Strategic Plan of Action on Migration
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Zimbabwe on Friday 19 June 2015 launched a four-year IOM Zimbabwe Strategic Plan in Harare. The IOM Zimbabwe Strategic Plan (2015 – 2018) sets out the cooperation agenda between the IOM, the Government of Zimbabwe, development partners, United Nations agencies, private sector, civil society organisations on migration management.
The launch of the IOM Zimbabwe Mission strategy comes against a background of a global growing importance of international migration. It is noteworthy that migration is a key dimension of both globalization and development and international migration has become one of the foremost development topics of the 21st century. Approximately 200 million people reside outside their home country; one in every 32 persons in the world is a migrant. There is no longer a single state that can claim to be untouched by human mobility.
IOM has been operational in Zimbabwe since 1985 and Zimbabwe became a member state of IOM in 2002. Since 1985, IOM’s work has evolved over time according to the changing needs. Hitherto the development of the new IOM Zimbabwe Strategic Plan, IOM programming has been largely humanitarian in nature. Currently, IOM Zimbabwe has adopted a strategic approach to transition from a phase dominated by direct assistance in support of humanitarian needs towards a stronger focus on local and national capacity building to support sustainable migration services and management. In line with the new thrust, IOM will seek to maximise the developmental potential of migration through diaspora engagement programmes and enhancing the health of migrant populations.
Speaking at the launch of the Strategy, the IOM Chief of Mission, Mr. Martin Ocaga highlighted that formulating a strategic plan is extremely important to IOM, as it will help the organization to prioritize actions in line with government priorities and improve on its service delivery in line with the national economic blueprint, ZIM-ASSET. Furthermore, this Strategic Plan is expected to assist IOM Zimbabwe in effectively carrying out its mission and vision and evaluating its performance.
Speaking at the same event, Mr. Gapare, a senior Government official of Zimbabwe from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that indeed international migration has grown in scope, complexity and impact to become a defining feature of our contemporary world. Accordingly, it is noteworthy that international migration is now high on the global, regional and national policy agendas. The sentiments were echoed by Mr. Ngorima, a senior Government Official from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and welcomed the new strategy as it strengthens the capacity of the Government of Zimbabwe to effectively address migration management.
As part of the strategy operationalization IOM is supporting the development and finalization of sector specific migration policies and strategies which include the National Diaspora Policy and the National Labour Migration Policy, the Trafficking in Persons National Plan of Action and technical support for the establishment of a national counter trafficking secretariat within the Ministry of Home Affairs. In addition to the above, the strategy seeks to further enhance the protection of migrants through lobbying for the ratification and domestication of relevant regional and international migration related protocols.
The launch of the IOM Strategic Plan is timely and happens at a time when the Government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) is in the process of finalizing national consultations for the outlook of national sustainable development goals.
IOM Zimbabwe will continue to work closely with the UNCT and contribute in programming dialogues and operational responses under the Zimbabwe United Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF). IOM will maintain collaboration with UN agencies and non-governmental organizations through the respective humanitarian coordination structures for disaster preparedness and response.