In Africa, regional laws and policies in a range of fields, including (but not limited to) climate change, disaster risk reduction, migration and free movement of persons, transhumance, refugee protection, human rights, protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and planned relocation have an important role to play in ensuring that those who choose to move, or are compelled to do so, can access safety, protection and lasting solutions. Yet, existing knowledge gaps regarding the scope and application of these laws and policies at the intersections of climate change, disasters and human mobility impede the realisation of the opportunities they present. To address these knowledge gaps, between April and July 2021, more than 200 researchers, practitioners and policy experts working in Africa and beyond came together as part of a Virtual Workshop Series to develop a Research Agenda for Advancing Law and Policy Responses to Displacement and Migration in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change in Africa.

Across a series of plenary workshops and smaller working groups, participants identified salient knowledge gaps under relevant regional laws and policies, and formulated proposals for future research to address them. This Research Agenda brings together the outcomes of the Virtual Workshop Series to provide 15 proposals for future research.