IGAD -

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Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

 

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa was created in 1996 to supersede the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) which was founded in 1986. The recurring and severe droughts and other natural disasters between 1974 and 1984 caused widespread famine, ecological degradation and economic hardship in the Eastern Africa region. Although individual countries made substantial efforts to cope with the situation and received generous support from the international community, the magnitude and extent of the problem argued strongly for a regional approach to supplement national efforts.

 

In 1983 and 1984, six countries in the Horn of Africa - Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda - took action through the United Nations to establish an intergovernmental body for development and drought control in their region. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government met in Djibouti in January 1986 to sign the Agreement which officially launched IGADD with Headquarters in Djibouti. The State of Eritrea became the seventh member after attaining independence in 1993.

 

In April 1995 in Addis Ababa, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government made a Declaration to revitalize IGADD and expand cooperation among member states. On 21 March 1996 in Nairobi the Assembly of Heads of State and Government signed 'Letter of Instrument to Amend the IGADD Charter / Agreement†was establishing the revitalized IGAD with a new name “The Intergovernmental Authority on Development". The Revitalised IGAD, with expanded areas of regional cooperation and a new organizational structure, was launched by the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government on 25 November 1996 in Djibouti, the Republic of Djibouti.

 

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is comprised of four hierarchical POLICY organs:

1. 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.

2. THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS is composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and one other Focal Minister designated by each member state. The Council formulates policy, approves the work programs and annual budget of the Secretariat during its biannual sessions.

3. THE COMMITTEE OF AMBASSADORS is comprised of 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.

4. 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.

5. The Executive Secretary is assisted by three Directors heading Divisions of Economic Cooperation, Agriculture and Environment and Political and Humanitarian Affairs, and twenty three regional professional staff plus various short-term project and Technical Assistance Staff.

The seven member states of IGAD - Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda - cover an area of 5.2 Million sq. km and have a population of more than 160 Million. The IGAD region is very rich culturally due to its numerous ethnic groups, languages and religious practices. The average population growth rate of 2.5 % is one of the highest in the world and nearly half of the population is under 14 years of age.

The region is highly affected by internal and external conflicts; therefore the joint peace and conflict prevention efforts of IGAD member states are crucial for a sustainable development of all countries. The region has abundant resources, which when properly developed and tapped could secure economic prosperity for the people, in particular, the rich endowment of rivers, lakes and forests, the large livestock stocks and the high agricultural production potential. IGAD provides the political platform through which the Governments of the member states pool resources and co-ordinate their efforts to initiate and implement regional programs and projects to tackle development challenges facing the region. As one economic block, IGAD region will have added advantage to effectively compete in the global economy.

 

IGAD was initially created in 1986 as the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and

Development (IGADD) to coordinate the efforts of the Member States in combating desertification and promoting efforts to mitigate the effects of drought. In 1990, IGADD prepared and adopted a framework strategy for each of its food security and environment protection sectors. Under each strategy, intervention programs and projects were identified and elaborated. Some programs and projects that attracted funding were implemented. IGAD provided substantial support to its Member States through training, institutional and technical assistance, especially in the areas of Early Warning and Food information System, desertification control, natural resources management and environment protection. The Authority also provided a regular forum for policy and decision makers of the member countries to tackle desertification and drought issues as well as other emerging regional and international challenges. Realizing this potential, the Heads of State and Government at an extra-ordinary Summit on 18 April 1995 resolved to revitalise the Authority and to expand its mandate to cover political as well as economic issues. Consequently, the Authority was renamed the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in 1996 and the Agreement Establishing IGAD was amended accordingly. The new Agreement gave IGAD an expanded mandate that defines inter alia, the following areas of cooperation among the Member States:

 Enhancing cooperation and coordinating their macro-economic policies

 Promoting sustainable agriculture development and food security.

 Conserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment.

 Ensuring the prudent and rational utilization of natural resources

 Promoting conflict prevention, management and resolution.

 Respect of the fundamental and basic rights of the peoples of the region to benefit from emergency and other forms of humanitarian assistance.

 Promoting trade and the gradual harmonization of trade policies and practices.

 Gradual harmonization of transport and communication policies and development of infrastructure.

While the Agreement Establishing IGAD identified some twenty areas of cooperation among the member states, the following three priority areas were identified as the immediate entry points for cooperation:

Food security and environmental protection;

Conflict prevention, management and resolution; and,

Economic cooperation and integration

 

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is the successor organization to the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD), created in 1986 by six drought stricken East African countries to coordinate development in the Horn of Africa. IGAD headquarters are in Djibouti.

In April 1996, at the recommendation of the Heads of State and Government, the IGAD Council of Ministers identified three priority areas of cooperation: Conflict Prevention, Management, and Resolution, and Humanitarian Affairs; Infrastructure Development (Transport and Communications); and Food Security and Environment Protection.

IGAD seeks to foster regional security and sustain economic development. The leading principles of IGAD are stipulated in the agreement establishing IGAD and are consistent and contribute to principles of both the United Nations and the African Unity. IGAD aims and objectives include promoting peace and stability in the subregion and creating mechanisms within the subregion for the prevention, management, and resolution of inter-State and intra-State conflicts through dialogue.

Article 18 of the IGAD establishing Agreement states that member states shall act collectively to preserve peace, security, and stability in order to facilitate economic development. Along these lines, since its inception IGAD has been extensively involved in peace efforts in Somalia and southern Sudan. Today, restoration of peace in Sudan and Somalia remains the primary goal of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. The IGAD peace process, a regional initiative based on a declaration of principles, provides the framework for resolution of Sudan's 17-year civil war. Kenya chairs the IGAD process, joined by mediators Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda. For the medium-term, IGAD is seeking to build capacity in the areas of conflict prevention and the alleviation and mitigation of humanitarian crises.

IGAD has several important institutions. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which meets at least once a year, is the supreme organ of the Authority. The Council of Ministers, which is composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and one other Focal Minister designated by each member state, meets at least twice a year. The Committee of Ambassadors, which is comprised of IGAD member states' Ambassadors or Plenipotentiaries accredited to the country of IGAD Headquarters, advises and guides the Executive Secretary. This advice is aimed at helping the Secretary realize the work plan approved by the Council of Ministers and interpret policies and guidelines that require further elaboration. The Secretariat is the Executive arm of the Authority and 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, in addition to the Office of the Executive Secretary, has three Divisions, one each in the areas of Economic Cooperation, Agriculture and Environment, and Political/Humanitarian Affairs.

IGAD member states are: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, and Eritrea. Eritrea became the seventh member of IGAD following its independence in 1993.

 

 

The peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) are carried out under the auspices of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The IGAD was founded in Djibouti in 1986 by six African countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. Achieving independence in 1993, Eritrea joined the organization in the same year. The original mandate of the organization was to cooperate in tackling challenges relating to drought and development. As regional response to the conflicts raging in IGAD’s area of operation became rather indispensable, the organization embarked on a process of revitalization, which was concluded in November 1996. Currently, the IGAD has three priority areas: food security and environmental protection; political and humanitarian affairs, including conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution; and regional economic cooperation.

IGAD’s search for peace in Sudan dates back to 1993. Both the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A agreed that the IGAD should assume the task of mediating their differences in an effort to contribute to a lasting peace in Sudan. Since July 1997, when the IGAD moved to adopt a different approach, the organization’s peace initiative in Sudan has been driven by a Peace Committee under the chairmanship of the Kenyan President, Daniel Arap Moi. Also included on the Committee are Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Uganda, which have significant stakes in the Sudanese conflict.

The IGAD has made some progress, as the negotiating parties have accepted the 1994 Declaration of Principles (DOP) as the basis for negotiations, albeit with some resistance from the Sudanese government. The DOP covers a broad range of areas, including state and religion, self-determination, and interim arrangements. The DOP, in essence, gives the unity of Sudan a chance, while it also allows the people of south Sudan to opt for independence should it become necessary.

Lately, the length of time between different rounds of talks has emerged as a concern not only for the Sudanese people, but also for the IGAD Partner’s Forum (IPF), a group of countries that politically and financially support the Sudanese peace process. To overcome this shortcoming, in July 1999, the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A agreed to an enhanced structure put forward by the IGAD mediators. The Sudanese parties gave their blessing to the establishment of a permanent secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya, the formation of technical committees for the key issues under negotiation, and the appointment of a Kenyan special envoy.

Through its Track II Diplomacy Project, Project Ploughshares was very active in the process leading up to the enhancement of the peace process. The Project’s Kenyan director worked very closely with the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advise on the most realistic and efficient peace process structure, and consultations continue.

Owing to the enhancement of the peace process structure, the peace talks between the Sudanese negotiating parties are now held more frequently than at any time in IGAD’s history. In the first quarter of this year, two rounds of talks were held in Nairobi, Kenya. The first set of talks, which was held in a friendly atmosphere, and was concluded in late January 2000, ended without resolving basic disagreements over state and religion. The second round of talks, which was launched exactly a month later, continued to address the same issues, including clarification of the regions in which the right to self-determination is to apply.