Virtual Workshop Series: Plenary sessions

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES: PLENARY SESSIONS

The Virtual Workshop Series - Developing a Research and Policy Agenda for Addressing Displacement and Migration in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change in Africa - brings together researchers and practitioners working across Africa and beyond to plan future research that will advance regional and sub-regional law and policy responses to displacement and migration in the context of disasters and climate change. The Virtual Workshop Series consists of Opening and Closing Plenary sessions, plus smaller Thematic Working Groups.

Opening Plenary: Setting the Scene
Tuesday 27 April
8:00-10:00 GMT / 11:00-13:00 EAT / 18:00-20:00 AEST
Read the BACKGROUND PAPER
Access Agenda and Zoom link (Password protected link for registered participants only)

If you were not able to attend the Opening Plenary session, you can watch the recording here or below:

Closing Plenary: Bringing it together
Thursday 1 July
8:00-10:00 GMT / 11:00-13:00 EAT / 18:00-20:00 AEST
Access Agenda and Zoom link (Password protected link for registered participants only)

If you were not able to attend the Closing Plenary session, you can watch the recording here or below:

Context

Natural hazards, disasters and climate change are among the leading drivers of human mobility across Africa. Yet, lawful pathways for those who move across international borders in this context remain limited, and often uncertain. At the global level, a number of key frameworks provide important guidance on how to address displacement and migration in the context of disasters and climate change. These include: the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda, the Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework, Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, Global Compacts for Refugees and relevant international refugee and human rights law frameworks. These are complemented at the regional level by a range of regional and sub-regional frameworks relating to human rights, refugee protection, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the free movement of persons between states. Collectively, these frameworks provide a valuable background and opportunity to promote and advance research, evidence and regional engagement on disaster and climate change-related human mobility in Africa.

The Virtual Workshop Series will provide an opportunity for academics and policy experts working across Africa and beyond to engage in discussion, form networks and plan future research on topics related to disaster and climate change-related displacement and migration. Workshop participants will include scholars working in on climate change, disasters, migration and displacement across law, policy and other disciplines, as well as representatives of key regional, sub-regional and civil society organisations. Through a series of online presentations and discussions, the Virtual Workshop Series will identify key needs and opportunities for regional research and policy development relating to displacement and migration in the context of disasters and climate change in Africa.

Selected Open Access Resources

We invite participants to familiarise themselves with some of the resources below. These resources have been selected to provide a general overview of the topic of the Virtual Workshop Series. We have decided to prioritise open access material to ensure that all participants would access the same resources. As this is only a short selection, we will collect resources relevant to the region through the entire virtual workshop series and share them with all participants at the end of the series. If you would like to share relevant resources with us, please contact Christina Daszkiewicz, cdaszkiewicz@iom.int.