On 28-30 September 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a face-to-face training for policymakers on the Essentials of Migration Management (EMM2.0) in Mogadishu, Federal Republic of Somalia. The three-day training was funded by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) of the Swiss Confederation.

Eighteen mid- to senior-level government officials (3 female, 15 male) from the Federal Government of Somalia, the Galmudug State of Somalia, the Hirshabelle State of Somalia, the Jubbaland State of Somalia, and the Southwest State of Somalia attended the training, engaging in discussions on migration opportunities and challenges in the country.

The participating ministries from the Federal Government of Somalia included: Office of the Prime Minister, Migrant Response Center, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, and the Benadir Regional Administration. From the Galmudug State of Somalia, the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation participated.

From the Hirshabelle State of Somalia, the participating ministries were the Ministry of Interior and Local Government, Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, Ministry of Internal Security, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and the Office of the Auditor General.

From the Jubbaland State of Somalia, the Ministry of Interior, Federalism and Reconciliation participated, and from the Southwest State of Somalia, the Ministry of Interior, Local Government and Reconciliation participated.

Given the diverse range of participants, this training highlighted the importance of the whole-of-government approach and the interlinkages between different areas of migration management.

A senior trainer from the IOM African Capacity Building Centre (ACBC) led the sessions alongside national co-facilitators from IOM Somalia, who also contextualized the learning materials according to the country’s specific needs and priorities.

As demonstrated by the results of the course evaluation, all participants strongly agreed or agreed that the workshop content was well matched with their job-related needs, that the workshop materials were a useful aid to learning, and that their increased knowledge, as a result of this workshop, will help improve their work performance.