Thirteen African Union (AU) Member States have pledged their commitment to ensure the ratification of the AU Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

The Free Movement of Persons Protocol, adopted in 2018, was designed to guarantee the right of African citizens to enter, reside, and establish businesses in any AU Member State. 

It is part of the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community and is seen as a key tool for accelerating trade and integration across the continent. 

The delegates pledged their commitment at the closing of a four-day conference, organised by the African Union Commission (AUC), aimed at galvanising member states to ratify and implement the AU Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

The event, which was held in Accra on Thursday, was hosted under the theme: ‘Member States and RECS Peer-to-Peer Experience Sharing Coordination Meeting to Accelerate the Ratification and Implementation of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol.’

Speaking at the closing of the conference, the AU Commissioner of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Amma A. Twum-Amoah, said the meeting was a necessary push to make the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons a reality.

“We cannot have a true African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) if people cannot move with their goods,” Mrs Twum-Amoah stressed.

“This meeting is about accelerating ratification by learning from one another and building trust across the continent,” she added.

She also underscored the need for an enhanced security systems among member states to ensure the safety and security of persons under the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

According to her, although there had been some bilateral agreements to make some African countries visa free countries, it was important for those countries to ensure their security systems were enhanced.

Mrs Twum-Amoah commended Ghana’s leadership in promoting Pan-Africanism and regional integration, noting: “Ghana exemplifies the practical application of the Protocol through its open visa policies and strong immigration systems.”

A  Kenyan Senator and Member of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration, Professor Margaret Kamar, emphasised the link between mobility and trade.

She said, “It is illogical to promote intra-African trade without enabling the movement of people. Rwanda has shown that lifting visa restrictions can boost tourism and revenue.”

“Our goal is to translate such examples into continental policy action,” she added.

Prof. Kamar also noted that while the AfCFTA had been ratified by 48 countries, the Free Movement Protocol lagged far behind, a contradiction that undermined the broader vision of an integrated Africa.

The Assistant Commissioner of Immigration of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Samuel Bilson , said  that, “This process is not about opening floodgates —it is about creating structured, safe, and beneficial pathways for movement,”

 “Africa is already moving. Now, it’s time to make it official, coordinated, and sustainable,” he added.

Among the key concerns discussed during the meeting were security, loss of revenue from visas, and fears of mass migration.

The AUC also pledged to provide technical assistance to Member States, needing support to ratify and domesticate the Protocol.

However, only four out of 55 Member States have ratified the protocol, which was far below the 15 required for it to come into force.

The AUC, therefore, expects that by December 2025, the number of ratifications will reach the 15-country threshold required to bring the Protocol into legal force.