About the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration (ACSRM)
African Union
The African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration is an African Union-specialized technical agency devoted to strengthening research, studies, and analysis of all aspects of Africa’s migration. The African Union – African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration (ACSRM) aims to strengthen the overall migration governance regime in Africa, and more specifically, to enhance knowledge base on migration and mobility in Africa, and to contribute to well-evidence and well-informed policies and interventions on migration in the African continent.
The ACSRM endeavors to strengthen research, studies, and analysis of all aspects of Africa’s migration through in-depth understanding of Africa’s migration both from qualitative and quantitative standpoints. The ACSM endeavors to enhance understanding of Africa’s migration trends, patterns, and policy implications and to contribute to the robust analysis of migration data collection and statistics.
The African Centre for the Study and Research on migration aims to enhance knowledge production and dissemination about Africa’s migration and the visibility of African migration scholars at the national, regional, continental, and global/international levels through the launching of a peer-reviewed journal on African migration and mobility and the production and dissemination of periodic reports on African’s migration patterns and trends and migration governance in Africa.
Contributing to the academic and policy debate on ‘Africa’s migration through position papers is another fundamental objective of the Centre. The ACSRM serves as a platform to strengthen the linkages between migration experts and policymakers, diplomats and academia to discuss the fundamental trends, patterns, and challenges of Africa’s migration. The ACSRM represents a platform among Member States, RECs, African/African Diaspora think tanks and civil society organizations to address migration issues concerning the African continent.
The ACSRM endeavors to catalyze policy formulation and implementation that contributes to enhancing the developmental potential of migration and addressing its negatives. The ACSRM is also tasked to contribute, monitor and evaluate African migration policy, legal, and legislative frameworks on migration in the African continent. Establishing a platform for sharing and disseminating information on migration is another critical mandate of the ACSRM. The ACSRM also seeks to enhance the capacity of African Member States, and regional economic communities (RECs) on migration governance through training, capacity building, and technical assistance on various aspects of migration.
The ACSRM works in close conjunction with the African Union and relevant institutions.
African migration researchers and experts, migration research, studies, and think tanks institutions in Africa and beyond, and international organizations and donors.
Key moments in the establishment of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration
The 2006 Executive Council and Assembly Decision Doc. EX.CL/290 (IX) ADD laid the foundation for establishing the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration in Mali. It stressed the establishment of the Centre and REQUESTED the African Union Commission, in close conjunction with the Government of Mali, to monitor the implementation of this Decision and oversee the process of establishing the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration (ACSRM).
Various phases have played a fundamental role in the establishment of the ACSRM:
- The recommendation of the 2017 Evaluation of the 2006 African Union Migration Policy Framework about the need to strengthen migration governance in Africa.
- The recognition of the need to strengthen migration research, studies, and analysis both from qualitative and quantitative standpoints and to address the challenges related to the lack of accurate, reliable, and up-to-date data on migration that hinder developing and implementing well-evidenced and well-informed policies on migration in Africa.
- The 2018 African Union Migration Policy Framework's recommendation about the need to establish and enhance continental facilities and capacities to foster migration studies, research, data collection, analysis and sharing in Africa.
- The recognition among African Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of the importance of well-evidenced and data-driven policies for effective governance of migration in Africa.
- The Decision of the AU Summit to designate the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration as a Specialized Technical Office of the African Union Commission (AUC) with a continent-wide mandate on all aspects of African migration.
Objectives and mandates of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration
General objective:
Strengthen migration governance in Africa by enhancing the knowledge-base on migration and mobility in Africa and contributing to data-driven, well-evidenced, and well-informed policies and interventions on migration in Africa.
Specific Objectives of the ACSRM:
- Strengthen research, studies, and analysis of all aspects of Africa's migration through periodic reports about the trends and patterns of Africa's migration.
- Contribute to the robust analysis of migration trends, patterns, and dynamics through qualitative and quantitative data.
- Strengthen knowledge production and the visibility of African migration scholars at the international level
- Launch a peer-reviewed journal on African migration and mobility.
- Produce and disseminate periodic reports on African migration patterns, trends, and governance in Africa.
- Contribute to the debate on Africa's migration through position papers.
- Contribute to the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of migration policies in the African continent.
- Contribute to policy formulation and implementation to enhance the developmental potential of migration and address its negatives.
- Serve as a platform for sharing and disseminating knowledge products and information on migration.
- Strengthen the capacities of African Member States (MS), and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on migration governance and development through training, capacity building, and technical assistance on various aspects of migration.
- Serves as a platform between migration experts and policymakers, diplomats, and academia to discuss the fundamental trends, patterns, and challenges of Africa's Migration and the policy implications.
- Serves as a platform for Member States, RECs, African/African Diaspora think tanks, and civil society organizations to address Africa's migration issues.
- Strengthen the study and research capacities of African Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in migration governance and management.
Funding
The African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration is funded by the budget of the African Union.
Per the status establishing the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration:
- 1. "The regular budget of the Centre shall be within the budget of the AU;
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2 In addition to the regular budget of the AU, other sources of funding the Centre may include:
a. Voluntary contributions from AU Member States;
b. Contributions from Development Partners of the African Union and the Commission;
c. Contributions from the Private Sector;
d. Contributions from national and regional institutions;
e. Any other source of funding in accordance with AU Financial Rules and Regulations. - 3. The budget calendar of the Centre shall be that of the AU.
- 4. Staff remuneration, administrative expenses and related budgets of the Centre shall be covered by the AU.
- 5. Programmes of the Centre shall be funded by resources from the AU, voluntary contributions by other Member States, or funding from development partners.
- 6. The budget of the Centre shall be prepared and considered in line with the AU Financial Rules and Regulations."
