The Executive Secretary of IGAD, H.E. Ambassador Mahboub Maalim was among heads of Regional Economic Community who have signed the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) with with the European Union. The programme was first signed in 2015 by the EU and five regional organisations in the Eastern, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (ESA-IO). Following a mid-term review on the RIP implementation, conducted in 2017, the first addendum to the RIP was prepared and duly signed by the EU and the five regional organisations. As a result, the overall budget of the RIP was increased from EUR 1.332 billion to EUR 1.49 billion.
The priorities for the EU Africa partnership are to focus on achieving peace and stability, managing migration and mobility, consolidating democracy and good governance, unleashing economic opportunities, reaching human development standards, and addressing climate change.