Burkina Faso - Mali

Bilateral (ratification status unknown)

INTRODUCTION

Burkina Faso (Haute Volta at the time) and Mali signed an Establishment and Circulation of Persons Convention (Convention d’Établissement et de Circulation des Personnes) in 1969. According to its preamble, the primary reasons for its adoption were the friendly ties between the two countries, the commitment to achieving African unity, and the aim to provide their respective nationals with a privileged status in each other’s territory. The Convention offers nationals of each state party the freedom to enter, travel, and choose a domicile of their choice in the territory of the other state party (entrer librement sur le territoire de l'autre Etat, y voyager, y établir sa résidence dans le lieu de leur choix). It also offers access to the labour market as well as other rights. The Convention was ratified by Mali in 1969. It has not been possible to confirm when Burkina Faso ratified the Convention. To the best of our knowledge the Convention has not been denounced. Both countries were part of ECOWAS until early 2024, when they announced their decision to withdraw their membership.

STATE PARTIES

BURKINA FASO
MALI

TIMELINE

1969	Signature of the Establishment and Circulation of Persons Convention between both countries on 30 September
1969	Mali ratified the Convention on 11 November

KEY LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Establishment and Circulation of Persons Convention between Mali and Haute Volta (Burkina Faso), Bamako, 30 September 1969 [Convention d’Établissement et de Circulation des Personnes entre le Mali et la Haute-Volta].

ADDITIONAL LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Mali, Decree 59, 11 November 1969, authorising the President to ratify the 1969 Establishment and Circulation of Persons Convention with Haute-Volta (Burkina Faso), Mali Official Gazette, 1 December 1969 [Ordonnance n°59 cM.L.N. autorisant le Président d'Administration du Comité Militaire de Libération Nationale, Chef de l'Etat, à ratifier la Convention d'établissement et la circulation des personnes, signée à Bamako, 30 septembre 1969 entre la République du Mali et la République de Haute-Volta].