The foregoing analysis has highlighted the paucity of data and the importance of a solid empirical basis for policy development. African countries are currently preparing to undertake the 2010 round of Population and Housing Censuses, and it will be important to ensure that this unique opportunity for relevant data collection is fully utilized. African countries are already organized to harmonize approaches, and as the 2006 Africa Symposium on Statistical Development identified, at this stage, capacity building is crucial. The capacity building carried out by countries with the support of the ECA and other multilateral partners, should focus on (i) the capacity of national statistical agencies, (ii) ensuring that future skills are available through appropriate undergraduate and graduate university programmes, and (iii) increasing the broad public awareness and understanding of the role and importance of data and statistics in society.
Currently, a number of legal frameworks guide African migration policy. To a large extent, African countries have ratified international legal frameworks at the global, regional and subregional level. However, more can be done to increase the capacity to implement the ratified instruments, as well as the capacity to draw up harmonized and relevant migration policies that also take into account women, children and forced migrants.
This can contribute to socio-economic development by maximizing migration benefits in both sending and receiving countries, and enhancing the free movement of people as agreed in the Abuja treaty establishing the African Economic Community. (IOM 2005, p. 41).
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