During the seventh Africa-Europe Summit, which was held on November 24 and 25 in Angola, the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti, reaffirmed his country’s position in favor of a global and multidimensional approach to migration. According to him, this approach must combine humanitarian, economic, social and cultural dimensions, while relying on shared responsibility and equity, particularly in the face of development disparities and inequalities between the North and the South.
In his intervention during the session devoted to “a prosperous and sustainable future for Africa and Europe and the partnership for migration and mobility”, the Tunisian minister called for accelerating the implementation of legal and circular mobility programs between the two continents. He also proposed the creation of a common platform between the African Union and the European Union to encourage joint investment in migrants’ countries of origin.
Mohamed Ali Nafti insisted that the future of Africa and Europe depends on the ability to establish regular, transparent and attractive migration pathways, without compromising the human resources of skills-exporting countries. He stressed the need to prevent the brain drain by putting in place supportive partnerships and mechanisms favoring the return of experts, while supporting national systems of higher education, vocational training and lifelong learning. For him, “migration can become an engine of development and wealth when its organization is safe, legal and respectful of human dignity”.
Co-working with the International Organization for Migration
The minister also spoke of the challenges posed by irregular migration, emphasizing that this phenomenon is fueled by networks of trafficking and exploitation of human beings. He greeted the co-working with the International Organization for Migration aimed at creating new opportunities and mobilizing human resources to invest for the benefit of migrants in their countries of origin.
Finally, Mohamed Ali Nafti recalled Tunisia’s commitment to multilateralism and the need to renew international cooperation in a world in profound change, where economic, security, environmental and humanitarian crises intersect. He pleaded for the construction of fairer systems and for a change in policy based on humans as a real driver of development, serving present and future generations.
The meeting led to the adoption of a joint Africa-Europe declaration, which sets the main directions and priorities of cooperation between the two continents for the years to come. The commitments focus on strengthening the partnership in the areas of peace, security, migration and development, as well as supporting multilateralism and its reform to ensure equitable representation of Africa in the face of the common challenges of the two continents.
