Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Government of Sierra Leone has validated its National Implementation Plan (NIP) and established a National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) under the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM).
The initiative, led by President Julius Maada Bio’s administration through the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), involved collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and various international partners.
The GCM serves as the first intergovernmental framework coordinated by the United Nations focused on international migration, offering a comprehensive set of 23 objectives designed to promote safe and dignified migration.
A pre-validation meeting held on July 8-9, 2025, at the Ministry of Finance gathered key stakeholders, including government ministries, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and international development partners.
The purpose of the meeting was to review the draft concept note for the NIP and NCM, ensuring that the final plans reflect Sierra Leone’s national priorities and adhere to international best practices.
In partnership with IOM, the government utilized the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) to assess migration governance at both national and regional levels. Importantly, migration has been formally integrated into Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030, recognizing it as a crucial enabler of sustainable development.
During the validation ceremony, Osman Cherry Conteh, Deputy Development Secretary at MoPED, highlighted the importance of the GCM. “The GCM represents the first intergovernmental framework under the UN aimed at fostering effective international cooperation on migration,” he stated, describing migration as a core aspect of Sierra Leone’s development narrative, presenting both challenges and opportunities.
Conteh emphasized, “The National Implementation Plan is essential for aligning the GCM’s objectives with our national development priorities, particularly as outlined in the MTNDP 2024–2030.” He added that the NCM will facilitate inter-agency coordination, promote evidence-based policy, and ensure a comprehensive approach to migration management.
The NIP and NCM are expected to enhance human capital development, labor mobility, and youth empowerment while addressing critical issues such as irregular migration, trafficking in persons, urbanization, land use, and climate-induced displacement.
“As Sierra Leone navigates the complexities of migration, we remain committed to leveraging it as a driver of development and social transformation,” Conteh affirmed.
Senior Project Assistant at IOM Sierra Leone, Brima Bendu, described the development and validation of the NIP and NCM as major milestones, praising the active involvement of Sierra Leonean institutions throughout the process.
Officer-in-Charge of IOM Sierra Leone, Pauline Macharia, commended the country’s leadership in migration governance, noting its designation as a GCM Champion Country in 2024.
She asserted IOM’s ongoing support, including the successful voluntary return and reintegration of over 2,000 Sierra Leoneans from Mauritania, Libya, Algeria, and Niger in 2024. “These are not just numbers,” she remarked, “they are young people, parents, and innovators, contributors to national development.”
Macharia stressed that the NIP is a strategic roadmap to ensure that migration processes are safe, dignified, and development-focused. She urged all stakeholders to collaborate in the next phase of implementation, stating, “The Global Compact for Migration provides a comprehensive roadmap for enhanced cooperation and governance of migration. This validation is a pivotal moment, translating global commitments into concrete national action.”
She praised the government for its inclusive and structured approach, emphasizing the importance of a whole-of-society and whole-of-government strategy. “With strong ownership and clear institutional coordination, Sierra Leone is well-positioned to maximize the benefits of migration and champion the 2026 International Migration Review Forum,” she concluded.
IOM reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Sierra Leone in implementing the NIP and strengthening migration governance frameworks in line with international standards.
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