IN AFRICA MIGRATION FOR DEVELOPMENT II. The strategic framework for managing migration IN AFRICA 7. Internal migration Internal migration is impacting population distribution in Africa in important ways. The most significant feature of internal migration is the process of urbanisation, which African countries are experiencing at an especially high rate compared to other regions of the world, as the fastest urbanising continent. The consensus on the development potential of urbanisation was expressed at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016, at which African policy makers, through the Common African Position on Habitat III, clearly recognised urbanisation as an engine of structural transformation for inclusive and sustainable growth. However, while ruralurban migration is an important factor in urbanisation, it plays a less significant role in urban growth, which is typically dominated by natural population growth. As a result, policies of exclusion developed in an attempt to reduce rural-urban migration may not only be ineffective, but can also be damaging to the interests of those living in poverty, regardless of their migrant status. While urbanisation is an integral aspect of economic and social development, if not effectively managed it can have adverse consequences for migrating and urban populations by straining the existing urban infrastructure and services and resulting in higher rates of urban poverty, lack of access to adequate housing, health care, education and other services, and environmental problems. Promoting sustainable urbanisation should therefore be a priority for African governments. The Agenda 2063 vision foresees a continent where cities and other settlements are hubs of cultural and economic activities, with modernized infrastructure, and people have access to all the basic necessities of life including shelter, water, sanitation, energy, public transport and ICT; economies are structurally transformed to create shared growth, decent jobs and economic opportunities for all. Furthermore, SDG 11 calls on actors to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The UN Secretary-General’s report on international migration and development of August 2016 stated that local governments play a critical role in implementing migration policies. While the migration narrative and policy responses are often formulated at the national level, migrants often end up in urban areas. To leverage the development opportunity that urbanisation represents, Member States need to strengthen the local dimension of migration policies and strategies. 65