November 9, 2021 (Djibouti, Djibouti): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) High-Level Regional Experts on the Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration on Education for Refugee, Returnees and Host Communities, today concluded a four - day Conference in Djibouti and adopted recommendations for the next three years (2022-2025).

After four days of intensive and fruitful deliberations the High-Level Regional Education Experts from the IGAD Member States came up with recommendations and all for concrete commitment of partners to support the implementation of the Djibouti Declaration and its plan of action on refugee education in IGAD Member States.

In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Republic of Djibouti, Mr. Mohamed Abdallah Mahyoub, said that the Republic of Djibouti achieved to integrate the education of young refugees in the national education system.

“The objective of our country is to achieve universal and inclusive schooling of children and young refugees throughout our territory” Mr Mahyoub said. He also called for member states to share the Republic of Djibouti’s experience.

The Director of Health & Social Development Division of IGAD, Ms Fathia A. Alwan, expressed her thanks and sincere appreciation to IGAD member state experts and partners for their continued financial and technical support, notably, the Government of Germany through GIZ, Education Cannot Wait, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR, and the EU.

The four -day event brought together high level experts responsible for education and discussed a wide-range of issues, including inclusive education, scholarship for refugees, Regional Qualifications Framework (RQF) and lessons from the IGAD Teacher Training Initiative.

The Meeting was attended by all core taskforce members (GIZ, EU, UNHCR, UNESCO, ECW, UNICEF and German cooperation), the IGAD Development Partners Forum and other partner agencies.

The IGAD High-Level Regional Experts Conference stressed, among others, the need for ensuring synergy between education, skills development and youth employment on refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities in the IGAD region; and served as a preparatory meeting for the ministerial session scheduled for March 2022.

November 6, 2021 (November 6, 2021): The intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened High-Level Regional Experts the Meeting on the Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration on Education for Refugee, Returnees and Host Communities in Djibouti.

In his opening remarks, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu the Executive Secretary of IGAD noted that IGAD has supported member states to develop their costed national education response plans for the implementation of the Djibouti Declaration and also developed a comprehensive regional education policy framework and a regional strategy for technical vocational education and training.

The Executive Secretary also informed the gathering that IGAD has launched a scholarship program aimed largely at benefiting students from refugees, returnees and disadvantaged host communities and a regional teacher training program,
“we are planning to expand both the scope and scale of this project to increase the coverage and diversity of skills, which will be considered and adopted in this conference and this will allow us to move ahead with accelerated implementation of the Declaration.” Dr Workneh said.

The Executive secretary also express his sincere appreciation to IGAD partners for their continued financial and technical support, notably, the Government of Germany through GIZ, Education Cannot Wait, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR, and the EU.

In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Republic of Djibouti, Mohamed Mahyoub informed the conference that the Republic of Djibouti is firmly committed to the full inclusion of refugee schools in the national education system.
“For the past four years, Djibouti has been keen to broaden the horizons of hope for many children and young refugees and returnees.” Mr Mohamed Mahyoub said.

The overall objective of the four day IGAD High-Level Regional Experts meetings is to ensure synergy between education, skills development and youth employment on refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities in the IGAD region and to pave the way for the ministerial meeting

Representatives of diplomatic community and partner agencies of IGAD such as Education Cannot Wait, GIZ, UNCHR, UNESCO attended the meeting and gave remarks.

The IGAD Secretariat Head and social development division head, Ms. Fathia Alwan and Dr. Kebede Kasa Coordinator of education program presented overview of the implementation of the Djibouti Declaration (DD) and the Addis Ababa Call for Action and Objectives of the Conference

Plenary Discussion also conducted by IGAD High-Level Regional Experts (Djibouti, Ethiopia. Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) report on the Status of Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration and Costed National Response Plans.

The four -day event will bring together high level experts responsible for Inclusive Education, Scholarship for Refugees, Regional Qualifications Framework network and Lessons from the Teacher Training Program within the IGAD region.

The IGAD High-Level Regional Experts Meeting is expected to come up with:

• Clear understanding of the pace/state of implementation of the Djibouti Declaration
• Adoption of plans/directives for the next three years (2021-2025)
• Concrete commitment of partners to support the implementation of the Djibouti Declaration and its plan of action;

November 28, 2021 (ARTA, Djibouti): As part of its activities to support and strengthen health programmes, the IGAD Secretariat invited the heads of national programmes for malaria control, the focal point for malaria elimination, as well as experts from Roll Back Malaria organization, the ALMA group and WHO for a two-day regional consultation meeting, in the city of Arta. 

November 25, 2021 (DJIBOUTI, Djibouti): The EU-IGAD COVID-19 Response programme hosted its 4th Project Steering Committee meeting in Djibouti, from 23rd to 24th November, 2021, with senior representatives of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Delegation of the European Union to Djibouti, UNOPS, Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), and government officials from the IGAD Member States of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. The meeting was opened by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health of Djibouti, Dr Salah Banoita.

The programme is contributing to mitigate the health and socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the IGAD region through coordinated, comprehensive actions in 45 cross-border sites in 7 countries. The implementation is focused on critical cross border areas and aims to enhance IGAD’s coordination capacity; increase access to health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services; combat gender-based violence; improve community engagement; ensure borders are safe for trade; and promote digital health solutions. The programme particularly supports frontline workers and vulnerable groups, including migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and cross-border communities.

Funded by the European Union, the €60 million programme is managed by UNOPS by a dedicated Programme Management Unit based in Djibouti, and implemented by IGAD, IOM, TradeMark East Africa, UNICEF and UNOPS. The digital health solutions component of the programme is co-funded by the German Government and independently managed and implemented by GIZ. The Project Steering Committee meeting brought together the key stakeholders of the programme to review the progress to date and engage with representatives from the IGAD Member States, in line with the programme’s efforts to respond to the areas of greatest need and support vulnerable communities.

The programme has already reached more than 1.9 million people across the region through implementation in the areas of health, WASH, gender-based violence prevention, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) and safe trade. Delivering in some of the most remote cross-border areas, the programme implementation includes rehabilitating two hospitals in eastern Sudan, providing essential water and sanitation services, conducting COVID-19 surveillance and testing at cross-border points of entry, establishment and training of cross-border health committee in 10 cross-border sites and re-establishing trade corridors to fight food and medicine insecurity. To date, the programme has delivered 6.2 million PPEs, more than 177,000 test kits, 22 ambulances and 7 field utility vehicles across the region. GIZ is working with IGAD on the implementation of a regional health data sharing policy which will help to make regional digital health tools available at the Horn of Africa.

Madame Fathia Alwan, Director, Health and Social Development Division, IGAD:
“We want the strong engagement of the Member States in accelerating the fight against the pandemic COVID-19, and through the lessons learned, improve the response across the region. As we are all together in the fight against COVID, strong partnership is of paramount importance, based on the regional mandate and giving IGAD the lead role, in reducing the health and socio-economic impact of the pandemic in the region, Director Fathia emphasized.”
In her speech, Madame Fathia Alwan appreciated the members for the commitment to the success of the project. Highlighted all project objectives and target population and emphasized that IGAD complements the Member States’ efforts.

Aidan O’Hara, Ambassador of the European Union to Djibouti and IGAD, said about the programme: “The European Union is helping countries in the IGAD region tackle the health and socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our focus is on the health and well-being of vulnerable groups across the region, especially front-line workers, cross-border communities, migrants and truckers. The European Union wants to ensure that no one is left behind.”
Speaking at the opening session, Ambassador Aidan O’Hara appreciated the Member States for supporting IGAD initiatives and mentioned that IGAD is as good as the Member States allow it to be.

Dr. Layla Hamad, Deputy Director Emergency Humanitarian Aid, IGAD Chair - Representative of Sudan noted the impact the pandemic has had on the MS and measures that have been put in place and also noted the continued need for support, and thanked the EU and IGAD for the support.

Worknesh Mekonnen, Multi-Country Office Director for UNOPS Ethiopia and Representative to the African Union said about the programme started:
“I would like to congratulate all partners for their contribution to the success of the project and extend deep thanks to the EU for their continued support. I would also like to recognize the PMU team of UNOPS that has worked tirelessly through all the procedures in setting up the unit and providing guidance and coordination. This project has been a very good example of how partners can work together and support country efforts, in particular in such extremely challenging times. In the last one year we have managed to reach 1.9 million people, in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda through the implementation of programme activities in 45 cross-border sites across the region. We have distributed more than 6.3 million PPE, and supported 144 health facilities. Once again congratulations on our success, and I certainly look forward to more in the remaining time of the project.”

Dr. Saleh Bonnet, Secretary General of Health, Djiboutiwelcomed the participants to Djibouti and appreciated IGAD initiatives and project partners.
Presenting at the meeting, Rossella Monti, Senior Project Manager, UNOPS Programme Management Unit - EU-IGAD COVID-19 Response said:
“The unique integrated approach implemented in this project is key to responding to the multidimensional COVID-19 shock across the IGAD region. We manage this programme to bring complementary competencies to the ground in order to tackle the evolving challenges of this pandemic and to support urgent needs in cross-border areas across 7 countries.”