The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in collaboration 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), organized a technical workshop on integrating human mobility into national climate policies. This event took place from May 12 to 14, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
The workshop aimed to enhance regional capabilities in addressing the link between climate change and human mobility in West Africa. The region faces increasing challenges related to climate-induced displacement and migration. Over three days, experts from ECOWAS Member States, regional organizations, international agencies, and civil society participated to improve knowledge, develop technical skills, and encourage cross-sectoral dialogue on incorporating human mobility into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other climate policy frameworks.
In their opening remarks, Mr. Albert Siaw Boateng from the ECOWAS Directorate of Free Movement of Persons & Migration and Mr. Yao Bernard Koffi from the ECOWAS Directorate of Environment and Natural Resources emphasized the urgency of climate action due to increasing risks in West Africa. They reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to supporting its Member States in enhancing NDCs 3.0 development.
Ms. Fatou Ndiaye, Chief of Mission of IOM in Ghana, Benin, and Togo highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts against these challenges. She expressed IOM’s willingness to assist in creating people-centered climate policies.
Participants concluded with a pledge to incorporate human mobility into revised NDCs (NDC 3.0) for submission by October 2025 before COP30. The workshop stressed regional cohesion improvement, inter-ministerial collaboration enhancement, and increased access to climate finance for vulnerable communities.
This event is part of HMCCC II’s second phase—commissioned by BMZ and co-financed by Swiss Development Cooperation—to build capacities at various levels for effectively addressing climate-induced human mobility.