Intergovernmental Authority on Development explained

Conventional Long Name:	Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
Native Name:	الهيئة الحكومية للتنمية Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement
Linking Name:	the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
Admin Center Type:	Headquarters
Admin Center:	Djibouti,
Official Languages:	English
Leader Title2:	Executive Secretary
Leader Name2:	Workneh Gebeyehu^[1]
Established:	January 1986 (As IGADD) 1996
Area Km2:	5,204,977
Area Sq Mi:	1,997,303
Gdp Ppp:	$337.82 billion
Gdp Nominal:	$393.042 billion
Gdp Nominal Per Capita:	$888.5
Time Zone:	East Africa Time
Utc Offset:	+3

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. It is headquartered in Djibouti.

Member states

Horn of Africa

• Djibouti (founding member, since 1986)
• Ethiopia (founding member, since 1986)
• Somalia (founding member, since 1986)
• Eritrea (admitted 1993, withdrew 2007, attempted to rejoin in 2011,^{[2] [3] [4]} rejoined 2023^[5])

Nile Valley

• Sudan (founding member, since 1986, suspended participation in 2024)^[6]
• (admitted 2011,^[7] suspended December 2021^[8])

African Great Lakes

• Kenya (founding member, since 1986)
• Uganda (founding member, since 1986)

Formation

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development was established in 1996. It succeeded the earlier Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), a multinational body founded in 1986 by Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, with a focus on development and environmental control. IGADD's headquarters were later moved to Djibouti, following an agreement signed in January 1986 by the member states. Eritrea joined the organization in 1993, upon achieving independence.^[9]

In April 1995, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government met in Addis Ababa, where they agreed to strengthen cooperation through the organization. This was followed with the signing of a Letter of Instrument to Amend the IGADD Charter / Agreement on 21 March 1996. The Revitalised IGAD, a new organizational structure, was eventually launched on 25 November 1996 in Djibouti.^[9]

IGASOM/AMISOM

See main article: AMISOM. In September 2006, the AU Peace and Security Council approved an IGAD proposal to deploy an IGAD Peace Support Mission in Somalia (IGASOM).^[10]

On 21 February 2007, the United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 1744, which authorized the deployment of a new African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) in place of IGASOM.^[11]

Current situation

• IGAD is a principal supporter of the Federal Government of Somalia and backed it through the AMISOM and ATMIS initiatives.
• IGAD expanded its activities in 2008 with initiatives to improve the investment, trade and banking environments of member states. The organization stressed the deployment of highly innovative programmes and mechanisms.

Structure

• The Assembly of Heads of State and Government is the supreme policy making organ of the Authority. It determines the objectives, guidelines and programs for IGAD and meets once a year. A Chairman is elected from among the member states in rotation.
• The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Secretary appointed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for a term of four years renewable once. The Secretariat assists member states in formulating regional projects in the priority areas, facilitates the coordination and harmonization of development policies, mobilizes resources to implement regional projects and programs approved by the council and reinforces national infrastructures necessary for implementing regional projects and policies. The current Executive Secretary is Workneh Gebeyehu of Ethiopia (since 29 November 2019).^[12]
• The Council of Ministers is composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and one other Minister designated by each member state. The Council formulates policy, approves the work program and annual budget of the Secretariat during its biannual sessions.
• The Committee of Ambassadors comprises IGAD member states' Ambassadors or Plenipotentiaries accredited to the country of IGAD Headquarters. It convenes as often as the need arises to advise and guide the Executive Secretary.

Ambassador Mahboub Maalim handed over as Executive Secretary ^[13] to Workneh Gebeyehu in late 2019. Maalim, a Kenyan nominee, had served from 2008 to 2019.

See also

• East African Community (EAC)
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Notes

Footnotes

External links

• IGAD official site
• Agreement Establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
• IGAD Profile (Institute for Security Studies)
• Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN)

Notes and References

1. Web site: The IGAD ES Page . 2024-04-11 . IGAD . en-US.
2. Web site: Intergovernmental Authority on Development: About us: History . IGAD . 9 January 2010 . 29 December 2014.
3. News: Eritrea rejoins East African bloc IGAD . Reuters . 28 July 2011 . 2 October 2023.
4. Eritrea's Relation with IGAD and the OAU/AU: The Domestic and International Dynamics . Befekadu Bogale . Turkish Journal of International Relations . 13 . 3 . 2014 . 4.
5. News: Eritrea rejoins east Africa trade and security bloc IGAD after 16 years . africanews . 14 June 2023 . 2 October 2023.
6. Web site: Sudan suspends ties with East African bloc over paramilitary leader's summit invitation | Fox News . .
7. Web site: East African bloc admits South Sudan as member . Reuters Africa . 25 November 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120505123658/http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE7AO0A820111125 . dead . 5 May 2012 . 25 October 2012.
8. Web site: Şafak. Yeni. Regional bloc suspends South Sudan's membership over failure to pay fees. 2021-12-11. Yeni Şafak. tr-TR.
9. Web site: IGAD - About us. Intergovernmental Authority on Development. 25 August 2013.
10. News: SOMALIA: African Union endorses regional peace plan. 25 August 2013. IRIN. 14 September 2006.
11. Web site: Resolution 1744 (2007). United Nations Security Council. 25 August 2013.
12. Web site: IGAD countries leaders applaud Dr Workneh's appointment as executive secretary. igad.int. 2019-12-01. 2020-02-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20200202180232/https://igad.int/executive-secretary/2309-igad-countries-leaders-applaud-dr-workneh-s-appointment-as-executive-secretary. dead.
13. Web site: Executive Secretary Hails Italy's Support to IGAD. Intergovernmental Authority on Development. 24 June 2014.