Intergovernmental Authority on Development
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.
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)الهيئة الحكومية للتنمية
Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement
Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement
January 1986 (As IGADD)
1996
5,204,977 km2 (2,009,653 sq mi)
estimate
$337.82 billion
estimate
$393.042 billion
$888.5
UTC+3 (East Africa Time)
Formation[edit]
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]
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.