4 April 2012: A joint meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Livestock, Water Resource, Environment, Arid Lands and Drought Disaster Management with High Level Development Partners has committed to establish the Global Alliance for Action for Drought Resilience and Growth to improve coordination and harmonization of investments and policy.

The two-day meeting on the Horn of Africa, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 3-4 April 2012, was convened to review progress made in implementing the Initiative to End Drought Emergencies in the Horn of Africa (the Initiative), since its inception in September 2011. The Global Alliance was agreed upon by those present to capitalize on progress already made under the Initiative, and further develop and cement partnerships, particularly with the private sector, and increase and strengthen economic growth to improve food security in the region.

The meeting also saw: the establishment of a fund to support activities undertaken under the IGAD Regional Platform for Drought Resilience and Sustainability; the creation of a common mechanism for monitoring and evaluating results to strengthen knowledge management, accountability and transparency; and the establishment of a Regional Development Partners’ Group for Drought Resilience and Growth, to improve coordination of programme investments and policy reforms in region, particularly those in support of the IGAD Regional Platform for Drought Resilience and Sustainability. [Joint Meeting Communiqué] [USAID Press Release] [IGAD Press Release]