Following our discussion on the strategic issue of Migration, hereby individually and
collectively reaffirm our previous commitments aimed at accelerating mobility and
integration on the continent, migration in development while addressing regular and
irregular migration;

we commit to undertake the following actions:

i) Speed up the implementation of continent-wide visa free regimes
including issuance of visas at ports of entry for Africans and based on the
principle of reciprocity where those countries that offer free movement
should receive same;

ii) Offer all Africans the same opportunities accorded to the citizens of
countries within our respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
by 2018;

iii) Expedite the operationalization of the African Passport that would, as a
start facilitate free movement of persons that will be issued by Member
States;

iv) Establish a harmonized mechanism to ensure that higher education in
Africa is compatible, comparable, with acceptability and enable
recognition of credentials that will facilitate transferability of knowledge,
skills and expertise;

v) Establish a mechanism on practical modalities for the empowerment of
African women and youth in education and, encourage their sustained
growth in knowledge acquisition; and to include exchange programmes
and self-employment in the education curriculum;

vi) Strengthen efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling of
migrants through the implementation of the provisions of the UN
Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementing
Protocols against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants by
improving legislation, provision of victim support enhanced international
cooperation and training;

vii) Assist in the stabilization of the elected government of Libya.

1. REQUEST the Commission to urgently organize a retreat of the Executive

Council to consider:

i) the issue of Mobility and Free Movement of people in Africa;

ii) the development of a common position for Africa before the Malta
conference on Migration with the European Union in November 2015;

iii) the development of a Protocol on Free Movement of Persons;

iv) in collaboration with Member States engage in the process of developing
capacity to manage migration flows within the continent.

2. ENDORSE the Horn of Africa Initiative on Human Trafficking and Smuggling
by the AU Commission and the outcomes of the Regional Conference on
Human Trafficking and Smuggling held in Khartoum, Sudan from 13-16
October 2014 including the TOR, Declaration, Strategy and Plan of Action;
and REQUEST the Commission to report regularly to the Executive Council on
the Initiative;

3. DECIDE to remain seized with the matter and REQUEST the Commission to
report to the Assembly on the implementation of this Declaration in January
2016.