19 March 2019, DJIBOUTI (Djibouti): The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim, today received the Ambassador of Canada to Ethiopia and Djibouti, H.E. Antoine Chevrier, on a courtesy visit to the Secretariat of the regional organization.

The Ambassador of Belgium to Ethiopia and Djibouti, H.E. François Dumont, was also received by the Executive Secretary during a courtesy.

Yesterday, the Executive Secretary received the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, H.E. Dr Alastair McPhail, who came on a courtesy call.

The Executive Secretary expressed his satisfaction to see all these friendly countries’ interest in IGAD as an organization and in the IGAD region as well, knowing that they entertain strong and deep bilateral relations with IGAD Member States.

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10 March 2019, DJIBOUTI, Djibouti: The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim, this morning received the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union of IGAD Member States based in Addis Ababa, H.E. Mohamed Adam Mohamed Ismael, in his office at the Secretariat of the regional organisation.

"The collaboration between the Executive and the Legislative arms of IGAD is of paramount importance for the fulfilment of our mandates", the Executive Secretary said.

Secretary General Mohamed highlighted the two bodies’ “similarities in visions and objectives” “to serve the people of the IGAD region to attain peace, security, economic development and integration”. He added that “attainment of those objectives and visions” required both “the executive and legislative processes to work hand in hand”.

The same day, a delegation led by Ambassador Mohamoud Mohamed Dirir, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, came to the Secretariat to meet the Executive Secretary along with his Directors and senior staff members. "The essence of our visit is to inform the ongoing reviewing process of our foreign policy", Amb Dirir said. He also highlighted that similar delegations were sent to countries in the region.

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10-03-2019, DJIBOUTI, Djibouti: Following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft in Ethiopia this morning, the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Amb (Eng.) Mahboub Maalim, presents his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who lost their beloved ones in that tragic accident. 

“It is always shocking and sad news to hear of such an accident. It’s even more deeply affecting when it occurs in a country within our region and a flight route all familiar to us”, he said. 

“I cannot seem to find words comforting enough to the families and friends of those who might have lost their lives in this tragedy”, the Executive Secretary continued. 

He noted that the whole IGAD region and the world are today mourning. “As this tragedy is unfolding, I pray for the souls of those who have lost their lives to find eternal peace”, he concluded.

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07 March 2019, DJIBOUTI (Djibouti): The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) joins its Member States of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda; Other Regional Economic Communities; The African Union; The United Nations and other regional and international organisations on the occasion to mark the International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8^th March 2019.

 Women not only constitute more than half of the IGAD Member States’ population, but are also important actors in the socio-economic and political transformation of the region. “We cannot credibly talk about promoting peace, prosperity and integration for sustainable development in the region if half of the population is left behind on account of historical, cultural, bureaucratic, political or other grounds of discrimination and exclusion”, observed the IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim.

 IGAD Secretariat notes that the frequent droughts coupled with other adverse effects of climate change, peace and security challenges in the region including violent extremism, terrorism, and human trafficking among others have a differential impact on women, men, boys, girls and other demographic categories of the population. This acknowledgement underscores the crucial importance for all duty bearers to pay special attention to inequalities that deepen and intensify vulnerabilities to livelihoods and other shocks.

 “The theme for International Women’s Day 2019 ‘Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change’ is clearly a clarion call that places gender equality and women’s empowerment on the critical path of attaining the aspirations contained in the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and the African Union Agenda 2063” remarked H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim.

 On this occasion, IGAD Secretariat commends Member States and Partners for the various efforts directed towards empowering women and girls in the region. The Secretariat further pledges to strengthen regional cooperation in addressing shared challenges in this realm, guided by agreed regional and international normative principles and standards on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

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Attachments:

Press Release-International Women’s Day.pdf

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2019-03-07 15:27

27 February 27 2019, DJIBOUTI, Djibouti: The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim, and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Djibouti, H.E. Mrs. Anke Holstein, this morning signed bilateral agreements amounting to 34.4 Million Euros to support two projects through Technical and Financial Cooperation.

 The main objective of the Technical Cooperation commitment is to strengthen the resilience against natural disaster while the support of the Regional Migration Fund (RMF) aims to reduce the drivers of irregular migration and find sustainable solutions for protracted displacement situations.

 The Technical Cooperation commitment comprises of 14.4 Million Euros – including 2.1 Million Euros contribution by the EU – and will be implemented by the German Agency for International Development GIZ through a direct support to IGAD’s IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience Initiative (IDDRSI) strategy. The project titled Strengthening the Capacity of IGAD towards “Enhanced Drought Resilience in the Horn of Africa (SCIDA II)” runs until December 2020.

 Through an initial grant of 20 Million Euro, the German Government via KfW will provide Financial Assistance to IGAD for the implementation of IGAD’s Regional Migration Fund (RMF).

 Over the last decade, IGAD and the German Government through the Federal German Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) have built a strategic alliance based on shared values and a common interest in contributing to the development of Horn of Africa.

 The Signing Ceremony was held within the framework of the 46th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers and was witnessed by the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, also the Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers as well as Foreign Ministers of IGAD Member States, Ambassadors, diplomats and invited guests. Also present was H.E. Adam Kulach, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Djibouti.

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26 February 2019, DJIBOUTI, Djibouti: The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim, this morning received the accreditation letter from the Ambassador of Germany to Djibouti, H.E. Ms Anke Holstein, that makes her the first German Ambassador ever to be accredited to the regional organisation.

The Executive Secretary noted the extended portfolio of projects and programmes IGAD and Germany have been entertaining from the start. “Your accreditation is more than timely and I am so delighted to see that we will be able to deepen furthermore our working relations”, he said. Amb Maalim described the accreditation as a “historic moment”. He added that Germany also had strong bilateral ties with IGAD Member States.

Ambassador Holstein noted that IGAD assumed “political responsibility for the region” and contributed “significantly to its further peaceful development”. She recalled that, so far, the portfolio of Germany-IGAD bilateral cooperation amounted to 142 Million Euros.

Ambassador Holstein pledged to “continuing the very fruitful cooperation” between Germany and IGAD.

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