Intergovernmental Authority on Development
Encyclopedia
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is an eight-country regional development organization
in East Africa
. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City
.
region. Although individual countries took substantial measures to cope with the problems and received support from the international community
, its extent argued strongly for a regional approach to supplement national efforts.
The six countries of the region took action through the United Nations
to establish an intergovernmental body for development and drought control in their region.
At a January 1986 assembly of heads of state and government, an agreement was signed which officially launched the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD).
Soon after its formation the mandate of IGADD widened, becoming a vehicle for regional security and political dialogue.
, Ethiopia
on 18 April 1995, leaders met and resolved to revitalize the Authority by expanding its areas of regional co-operation. This would create a full-fledged regional political, economic, development, trade and security entity similar to the South African Development Community (SADC) and Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS). One of the major motivations for the revitalization of IGADD was the existence of many organizational and structural problems that made the implementation of its goals and principles ineffective.
On 21 March 1996, the Heads of State and Government at the Second Extraordinary Summit in Nairobi
, Kenya approved and adopted an Agreement Establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
In March 2005, IGAD proposed a Peace Support Mission to Somalia
involving 10,000 troops, at a cost of $500 million for the first year. Due to many factors, IGASOM did not materialize in 2006.
In September 2006, the African Union
approved a smaller force, expected to reach 8,000 troops, at a cost of $335 million for its first year. The mission was now called AMISOM.
As of April 2007, only a part of AMISOM has been deployed to war-torn Somalia.
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City
Djibouti (city)
The City of Djibouti is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.-History:...
.
Current member states
(founding member, 1986) (admitted, 1993; suspended, 2007) (founding member, 1986) (founding member, 1986) (founding member, 1986) (admitted, 2011) (founding member, 1986) (founding member, 1986)Formation
Recurring and severe droughts and other natural disasters between 1974 and 1984 caused widespread famine, ecological degradation and economic hardship in the Horn of AfricaHorn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
region. Although individual countries took substantial measures to cope with the problems and received support from the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
, its extent argued strongly for a regional approach to supplement national efforts.
The six countries of the region took action through the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to establish an intergovernmental body for development and drought control in their region.
At a January 1986 assembly of heads of state and government, an agreement was signed which officially launched the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD).
Soon after its formation the mandate of IGADD widened, becoming a vehicle for regional security and political dialogue.
IGADD to IGAD
At an Extraordinary Summit of IGADD Heads of State and Government held in Addis AbabaAddis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
on 18 April 1995, leaders met and resolved to revitalize the Authority by expanding its areas of regional co-operation. This would create a full-fledged regional political, economic, development, trade and security entity similar to the South African Development Community (SADC) and Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
(ECOWAS). One of the major motivations for the revitalization of IGADD was the existence of many organizational and structural problems that made the implementation of its goals and principles ineffective.
On 21 March 1996, the Heads of State and Government at the Second Extraordinary Summit in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya approved and adopted an Agreement Establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
IGASOM
On January 6, 2005 the original plans for the AU to put peacekeepers in Somalia were first agreed by the AU Peace and Security Council. IGAD was mandated to put such a mission, named IGASOM, into practice.In March 2005, IGAD proposed a Peace Support Mission to Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
involving 10,000 troops, at a cost of $500 million for the first year. Due to many factors, IGASOM did not materialize in 2006.
In September 2006, the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
approved a smaller force, expected to reach 8,000 troops, at a cost of $335 million for its first year. The mission was now called AMISOM.
As of April 2007, only a part of AMISOM has been deployed to war-torn Somalia.
Current situation
Cooperation is practically stopped in the current time, because of various reasons:- KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
have concentrated on the East African CommunityEast African CommunityThe East African Community is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the five east African countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of the Republic of Burundi, is the current Chairman of the East African Community. The EAC was originally...
project, however Kenya is still very active as current presidency of IGAD. - SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
has had no functioning central government since the outbreak of the Somali Civil WarSomali Civil WarThe Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
in 1991. Beginning in the early 2000s, IGAD assisted in talks that produced Somalia's Transitional Federal GovernmentTransitional Federal GovernmentThe Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
in 2004. It urged the African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
in the first week of September 2006 to accelerate approval of the proposed peacekeeping mission to Somalia, release funds and help raise more money to support the deployment of troops. - SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
has internal problems between the central government of the North and the regions in the SouthSecond Sudanese Civil WarThe Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
and the West of the country. - EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and EritreaEritreaEritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
are at odds over multiple sections of their common border, which creates the danger that clashes in Somalia be used as a proxy-war. - some sections of the borders of EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
with SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
are also not demarcated or are disputedForeign relations of EthiopiaLike many states in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia was relatively isolated from other countries not immediately adjacent to it, until well into the 19th century...
. - 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 Eng. Mahboub Maalim of Kenya (since 14 June 2008).
- 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.
See also
- List of Trade blocs
- East African CommunityEast African CommunityThe East African Community is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the five east African countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of the Republic of Burundi, is the current Chairman of the East African Community. The EAC was originally...
(EAC) - Common Market for Eastern and Southern AfricaCommon Market for Eastern and Southern AfricaThe Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, is a free trade area with nineteen member states stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe. COMESA formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981...
(COMESA)