In a newly released podcast, Audrey Jolivel, Coordinator of the Rabat Process Secretariat and West Africa Liaison at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), explains the essence of the Rabat Process and provides first-hand insights into the inner workings of the Dialogue. The Migration & Diaspora Podcast is hosted by Loksan Harley and regularly focuses on migration-related topics. The most recent episode tackles the question: “What do inter-state migration dialogues do and how do you run one (insights from the Rabat Process)‪?‬”‬‬‬‬

Taking the Rabat Process as an example for an intergovernmental dialogue, the podcast episode examines the role of the stakeholders and looks at the wide range of activities being implemented within its framework. Audrey Jolivel provides an in-depth look at and personal insights from years of experience coordinating the Rabat Process Secretariat. She highlights the critical role that intergovernmental dialogues play in fostering exchange between countries by creating both formal and informal spaces for dialogue. After fifteen years of dialogue, the Rabat Process has many achievements to be proud of:

“I am sure that back in 2006, the three founders of the Rabat Process - Senegal, Morocco and Spain – […] would not have imagined that we would have a dialogue with such a level of trust and openness as we do today.” – Audrey Jolivel, Coordinator of the Rabat Process Secretariat

Since the dialogue’s foundation in 2006, nearly a hundred dialogue meetings have brought together African and European stakeholders to discuss a broad scope of migration-related topics. In addition, a wide range of support activities, including the development of knowledge sharing tools and capacity-building activities, have facilitated these encounters and shaped the dialogue’s strong operational focus. Evidence of its impact is also the fact that the Rabat Process has served as blueprint to inspire similar dialogue forums such as the Khartoum Process and that “[…] language agreed in the Rabat Process has served as a reference for other cooperation frameworks”, as Ms Jolivel points out.

Listen to Episode 18 of Loksan Harley’s Migration & Diaspora Podcast below for in-depth insights into the Rabat Process:

To listen to additional episodes of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, visit Loksan Harley’s website.