The Second Ministerial Meeting of the Khartoum Process concluded on Wednesday with the unanimous endorsement of the Cairo Declaration and the Cairo Action Plan. The high-level meeting, chaired by His Excellency Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, marked a significant step forward in fostering dialogue and regional cooperation on migration between the Horn of Africa and Europe.
During the session, Minister Abdelatty officially handed over the presidency of the Khartoum Process to Mr. François-Noël Buffet, French Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior. Egypt had held the presidency since April 2024.
Minister Buffet subsequently outlined France’s priorities for its tenure as chair. The Khartoum Process, encompassing 40 member states including EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, and nations from the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa, alongside the EU Commission, the African Union Commission, and various international organizations, will focus on key areas under French leadership.
Launched in November 2014 at its inaugural ministerial conference in Rome, the Khartoum Process, also known as the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative, serves as a crucial platform for promoting dialogue and strengthening regional collaboration on migration issues between the two regions. A central tenet of the initiative is the concerted effort to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling through the implementation of concrete joint initiatives.
The adoption of the Cairo Declaration and the Cairo Action Plan signifies a renewed commitment from member states to address the complexities of migration through enhanced cooperation and targeted actions. Further details regarding the specific objectives and strategies outlined in these documents are expected to be released in due course.
