03-08-2016, Djibouti: A consultation meeting was this morning held at the IGAD Secretariat in Djibouti to discuss the formulation of the IGAD and UNECA meet to consult on the formulation of the Capacity Management Strategy that is to be compiled by a team from United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) after a thorough look into the existing capacities of IGAD and its specialized institutions in the region.
ECA provides technical advisory services to African governments, intergovernmental organizations and institutions and also formulates and promotes development assistance programmes and acts as the executing agency for relevant operational projects.
Giving his opening remarks; H.E Amb (Eng) Mahboub Maalim , the Executive Secretary of IGAD expressed gratitude towards UNECA for the close relationship the two organizations have had over the years and emphasized that in spite of the many achievements there is a lot more to be done by IGAD hence the need to reinforce capacity within IGAD and its specialized institutions because of capacity development dynamism in the ever changing world.
The meeting organised by Mr. Farah Abdulsamed, Regional Capacity Building Coordinator at IGAD gave a useful background of the proposed strategy as well its objectives, scope and its importance to improve skills, knowledge and experiences for IGAD staff and instruments to implement and perform better.
Mr. Joseph Attah-Mensah, the UNECA Principal Policy Adviser – Capacity Development Division commended IGAD for the role well played in the different areas like peace and security despite the ever emerging challenges and requested IGAD to forge a way forward on regional development that depends handsomely on peace in the region to be able to uplift and eradicate poverty that majorly contributes to the insecurity in the region.
Mr. Mensah believes that IGAD as a regional economic bloc and with the huge responsibility that it carries should upgrade and update its capacitities through collectively working with UNECA and taking advantage of existing internal skills, knowledge and experiences to work more effectively and efficiently internally and for enhanced relations with development partners, member states and external stakeholders.
In support Amb. Crispin Gray Johnson, a consultant at UNECA highlighted that the existing IGAD plans and all other documents on capacity building and development will be reviewed, updated and modified to a knowledge instrument that should be relevant to the future users as well.
Amb. Johnson went on to say that focus will also be put on existing gaps and performance challenges that may have affected implementation at IGAD.
The UNECA team will carry out meetings with Division Directors, Program Managers and staff throughout the week and will at a later date meet with Member States and the IGAD Specialized Institutions for in depth understanding of the existing capacities.
The other activities will be a high level retreat on Economic Integration for Member States in relevant ministries comprising of Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and key staff working on trade, infrastructure and economic development as well as conducting a study on conflict drivers in the region sometime in November, 2016 as well as a Joint workshop for South Sudan National Economic Planning is also in the pipeline when peace returns to the youngest African nation.
