The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in partnership with Accra Metropolitan Assembly last Friday the 18th December, 2020 commemorated the 2020 International Migrants Day through the Accra for Art initiative.
The day, dubbed “Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration, was to effect the global response to COVID-19 through reimaging human mobility from the ground and to implement the vision of the theme to build a prosperous, healthy and resilient communities.
Convinced through the power of art to reach people and to create bridges, the IOM, AMA and artists from Ghana Graffiti collectively created a mural to artistically interpret the theme of reimagining the future of migration amid COVID-19.
The Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mohammed Adjei-Sowah, stated that the “International Migrants Day is a unique opportunity for us to celebrate the diversity of our city. Which better way to do that than through the creation of a bright and colourful piece of street art in one of the most diverse communities in Accra, that reminds us that the majority of movements happens within and within the region”.
According to the host, migrants are mostly sidelined when it comes to decision making and this situation informed their decision to commemorate the 2020 Migrants Day celebration in a migrant community.
“Many atimes we take decisions ,implement policies without factoring migrants and the contributions they make. But our purpose of gathering here is to commemorate the day by doing something in a migrant community” he said.
Honourable Mohammed Adjei-Sowah further stated that Accra is a cosmopolitan city which hosts people from all works of life, therefore choosing Nima to mark the celebration was ideal due to the large number of migrants from West African sub regions that settles there.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani also added that the United Nations in Ghana continues to work with stakeholders and partners to support the Government of Ghana and all people to recover better from crisis and create societies that are inclusive of migrants regardless their status.
“We are mindful of ensuring an inclusive response plan, where all people including migrants are considered as we tackle the economic and health issues. Enhancing migration governance throughthe implementation of the Global Migration Compact, the first global framework to enhance international cooperation on migration governance and to which Ghana has committed will be essential” he said.
IOM Ghana Chief of Mission, Abibatou Wane-Fall speaking on the impact of COVID 19 on migrants stated IOM Ghana has continued to support Ghanian migrants with return and reintegration assistance of the severity of socio-economic impact of COVID-19.
She called on all policy makers, civil society, community leaders, the media to ensure that no one is left behind as they move from pandemic response to recovery.
“Our joint commitment is needed fir the successful implementation of the Global Compact for Migration and the Sustainable Development Goals”.
In a speech read on behalf of the Municipal Chuef Executive of the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly, Honourable Hajia Salma Mohamed Sani Adams-Kuta expressed her gratitude to the organisers for selecting Kanda Highway in the municipality to host the event and as a beneficiary of the Street Art to Reimagine Human Mobility projects.
She also called on other developmental partners to partner the assembly to help move the developmental agenda of the municipality forward.
