State Minister Charles Patrick Okello Engola Macodwogo has reiterated Uganda’s commitment to the Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration (RMFM), which ended its 4th annual high-level meeting in Ethiopia on Friday.

The minister, responsible for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, spoke on 17 March, on the closing day of the RMFM in Addis Ababa. 

“I cannot paint a true picture of African Unity without the colour of free, safe, regular and humane labour migration,” Minister Macodwogo said. “However, sometimes because of national interests we fail to see the benefits of free movement of labour. I therefore wish to reiterate Uganda’s commitment to the [RMFM].”

In his speech, he outlined several measures taken to improve safety of Ugandan migrant workers abroad, including a Cabinet decision to post labour attaches in key destinations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

Uganda was one of 11 countries represented at the weeklong meeting. Its technical team was led by the Director of Labour, Employment and Occupational Safety and Health, Mr Martin Wandera. IOM Uganda was represented by Chief of Mission Sanusi Tejan Savage, and the head of Labour Migration and Social Inclusion, Victoria Nabiteeko.

The meeting was by supported by IOM, through the Better Regional Migration Management project, funded by Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.