CLADHO, an umbrella association of human rights organisations in Rwanda, has secured a grant worth US$ 252,719 (Rwf 50 million) from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) to support easy movement of Rwandan professionals within the EAC bloc.The Executive Secretary of CLADHO, Emmanuel Safari, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mark Priestley, TMEA Country Director, in Kigali this week.The grant is expected to support CLADHO in its advocacy programme, specifically in eliminating obstacles in labour mobility within the region. TMEA observed that although the Common Market Protocol was ratified in 2010; challenges still curtail Rwandan workers from moving freely to other Member States of the EAC, including lack of harmonised labour legislation and social security systems across the region."We believe that this grant will go a long way in helping us to tackle issues like dual taxation imposed by the country of origin and the host country on migrant’s labour which is hampering the free movement of our workers in the EA,” Safari stated.Priestley said that among other specifics, the grant will be channelled to collect, analyse and advocate for proper harmonisation of social security and labour legislations in EAC member states."A key principle of the EAC Treaty is to ensure that regional integration is people centred and private sector driven. Part of TMEA’s work is to support civil society organisations like CLADHO in supporting their research and advocacy efforts and to give them a voice in the regional integration process,” Priestley added. The grant will also be used to identify and report areas of abuse in the field of Common Market Protocol with emphasis on social security and labour legislations in the EAC.