Background

We are under no illusions that we can improve the situation overnight. But we are committed to giving people alternatives to risking their lives.

The Joint Valletta Action Plan (JVAP) is the outcome of the 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration. It lays down priorities to support migration governance between Africa and Europe. It revolves around five Domains with each targeting a specific area and constitutes the regional framework to address migration policy. These are:

Each of these JVAP Domains have several Priority Areas under them, each focusing on a specific area of intervention.

JVAP List of Priority Areas & Actions

The Valletta Summit on Migration resulted in the adoption of two landmark documents, marking the spirit of solidarity, partnership, and shared responsibility between Africa and Europe. These two documents were:

The Joint Valletta Action Plan, laying down a series of priorities aiming at supporting Valletta Partners with the enhancement of migration governance between Europe and Africa. The JVAP became the regional framework to address migration policy. It is built around the five domains.

The Joint Valletta Political Declaration, underlining the concerns of participating States and organisations regarding humanitarian consequences of irregular migration and their commitment towards the improvement of the management of migration flows.

The Joint Valletta Action Plan     The JVAP Political Declaration

JVAP Follow-up

The Khartoum Process and the Rabat Process have been mandated by JVAP Partners to oversee the implementation of the Joint Valletta Action Plan (JVAP). This monitoring effort is supported by the JVAP Follow-up Team at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), through the Support Project to the Africa-EU Dialogue on Migration (MMD). This project is funded by the European Union under the Joint Africa-EU Strategy and the Pan-African Programme.

JVAP Partners carry out JVAP Follow-up. They include:

• The African Union Commission
• The European Commission, The Council of the European Union, The European External Action Service (EEAS), The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX)
• Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
• International Organisation for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• 37 African States: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Libya*, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia*, Uganda
• 29 European States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Rabat Process - Khartoum Process - Both Processes

* Rabat Process observer

The JVAP Follow-up involves collecting and analysing data on the implementation efforts of JVAP Partners, based on the Domains and Priorities identified at the 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration. This stakeholder-driven process ensures that data ownership remains with the participating Partners, which include African and European states as well as international organizations. JVAP Focal Points from these regional migration dialogues, covering West and East Africa and Europe, provide detailed information on their initiatives to populate the JVAP Database.

The JVAP Follow-up Team maintains and updates the JVAP Database, centralizing implementation data to facilitate comparative analyses in a user-friendly and consistent manner. By modelling analyses based on this database, the team generates comprehensive reports that enable decision-makers to develop evidence-based migration policies and share best practices. Regular high-level meetings and thematic discussions ensure continuous progress and commitment to the African-European partnership on migration governance.

The European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF for Africa)

The Valletta Summit on Migration also saw the launch of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF for Africa). On 12 November 2015, the Constitutive Agreement to officially establish the EUTF for Africa, was signed by the European Commission, 25 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland. The EUTF saw the implementation of programmes in 26 partner countries across Sahel & Lake Chad, Horn of Africa, and North of Africa, amounting to EUR 5 billion in total. Activities under EUTF focused on:

• Greater economic and employment opportunities
• Strengthening resilience of communities and in particular the most vulnerable including refugees and other displaced people
• Improved migration management in countries of origin, transit and destination
• Improved governance and conflict prevention and reduction of forced displacement and irregular migration

In December 2020, the Constitutive Agreement of the EUTF for Africa was amended to extend the end date of the Trust Fund to 31 December 2021. Since 1 January 2022, the EUTF for Africa is not funding new programmes. Programmes approved before this date will continue being implemented until up to 31 December 2025.

Learn More About the EUTF