ECOWAS Holds a Workshop to Mainstream Human Mobility in National Climate Policies

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Foreign Ministry of Denmark and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), successfully convened a landmark Technical Workshop on “Mainstreaming Human Mobility in National Climate Policies” from May 12th to 14th, 2025 in Accra, Ghana.

This workshop is a key milestone in strengthening regional capacities to address the growing nexus between climate change and human mobility in West Africa, a region increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced displacement and migration.

The three-day workshop brought together a diverse group of regional experts, policymakers, and development partners from ECOWAS Member States, regional organizations, international agencies, and civil society. The event enhanced knowledge, built technical skills, and promoted cross-sectoral dialogue on integrating human mobility into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other climate policy frameworks.

In their joint opening remarks, Mr. Albert Siaw Boateng, ECOWAS Directorate of Free Movement of Persons & Migration, and Director of the ECOWAS Directorate of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Yao Bernard Koffi, highlighted the urgency and priority of climate action in West Africa due to increasing climate risks. They also reiterated ECOWAS commitment to assist its Member States in bridging the gaps within the development of NDCs 3.0 and other policy documents.

Echoing this, Ms. Fatou Ndiaye, Chief of Mission of IOM in Ghana, Benin, and Togo, stressed the scale of the challenge and the importance of collaborative action. Ms. Ndiaye expressed IOM’s readiness to support the development of people-centered climate policies.

The workshop concluded with a strong commitment from participants to mainstream human mobility in the revised NDCs (NDC 3.0) of ECOWAS Member States, to be submitted in October 2025, before the thirtieth Climate Conference of Parties (COP30). It also underscored the need for strengthened regional cohesion, enhanced inter-ministerial collaboration, and increased access to climate finance to support vulnerable communities.

This event is part of the second phase of the Global Programme on Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (HMCCC II), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the Swiss Development Cooperation. The programme aims to build capacities at national, regional, and international levels to address climate-induced human mobility effectively.