ADDIS ABABA – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announced that the region is making steady progress in deepening regional integration through trade.
The organization has issued its 2024 Annual Report which highlights strategic interventions and outcomes across key developmental pillars, aligned with the IGAD Vision 2050 and IGAD Strategic Plan 2021-2025.
The report indicated that Intra-regional exports have risen from 12.8% in 2015 to over 15% in 2023, reflecting growing economic collaboration among member states.
According to the Authority, this momentum is a sign of the region’s shared commitment to peace, prosperity, and regional unity.
As trade continues to open new opportunities, IGAD said in the report that it remains focused on creating an enabling environment for sustainable growth across borders.
In pursuit of its regional integration priorities, IGAD continued to deliver strategic interventions through the digital and energy integration projects, aimed at expanding secure ICT access and harmonizing regional digital regulations. The Desert to Power initiative fostered regional renewable energy development. “These initiatives contribute to unified markets, digital trade, and cross-border infrastructure improvements,” the report noted.
Regarding strengthening resilience to climate change impacts, the region saw increased availability and uptake of climate services produced by the regional bloc. According to the Annual Report, capacity-building initiatives supported national meteorological agencies, enhanced the skills of meteorologists and forecasters in Eastern and Southern Africa, and climate-smart agriculture practices were promoted.
Tools like CUWALID and predictive analytics for disaster displacement were introduced to guide interventions and reduce climate-related vulnerabilities. IGAD successfully operationalized the Climsoft Climate Data Management Software (CDMS) for the Sudan and South Sudan Meteorological Authorities, it stated.
In 2024, IGAD implemented a multifaceted strategy to improve food systems resilience such as strengthening drought early warning systems in cross-border areas, enhancing agricultural productivity through support to smallholders, expanding fishery and aquaculture development, promoting sustainable rangeland management and advancing research on food systems resilience in the region.
On the other hand the report noted that IGAD supported several interventions conflict early warning and early response, peace building and mediation, addressing transnational security threats, preventing and countering violent extremism, and supporting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden efforts to address existing peace and security challenges in the region.
According to the report, IGAD’s mediation efforts, notably in Sudan and South Sudan, included support for constitutional processes, transitional justice, and conflict early warning systems.
Diplomatic engagement with actors like the Tagaduum in Sudan and shuttle diplomacy in South Sudan illustrated IGAD’s continued leadership in regional peace and security. Efforts to counter violent extremism and enhance post-conflict reconstruction also progressed, it concluded.
BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 22 July 2025
