On 31 January and 1 February 2024, a Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) and a special event on circular migration will be held in Rabat, Morocco. This marks the concluding event of the current Moroccan Chairmanship of the Rabat Process which started in December 2022.

Reflecting on progress:  Cadiz Action Plan implementation

The last Rabat Process SOM was organised in Cadiz in December 2022 and marked the launch of the implementation of the Cadiz Action Plan 2023-2027 and the beginning of the Moroccan Chairmanship of the Rabat Process. The upcoming SOM will play a pivotal role in assessing the accomplishments to date, providing a platform for dialogue, and facilitating exchanges on the priorities and programme presented by the incoming Portuguese Chairmanship.

The current Cadiz Programme acknowledges the realities of migration challenges and reflects the evolving role of the Rabat Process as a regional dialogue, in line with other existing migration frameworks between the EU and Africa. Indeed, the Rabat Process aims to promote coherence and complementarity with the Joint Valletta Action Plan (JVAP) - by following up on the implementation of the JVAP with the Khartoum Process - the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact for Refugees. 

The main objectives of the SOM are as follows: 

  • Taking stock of the implementation of the Cadiz Action Plan under the Moroccan Chairmanship;
  • Handover of the Chairmanship to Portugal, as the next European member of the Steering Committee to assume this role;
  • Exchanges on the Programme of the Portuguese Chairmanship (January 2024 - January 2025).

Special event: “Circular migration: a cycle of opportunities and skills development”

In conjunction with the SOM, the Moroccan Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills invites SOM participants to a special event titled “Circular Migration: Cycle of opportunities and skills development” on 31 January 2024. This thematic exchange will focus on topics linked with Domain 2 of the Cadiz Action Plan – the domain focusing on regular migration and mobility.