Briefing notes on development in the Eastern Africa subregion : industrial and trading strategies for the IGAD sburegion

Abstract

The adoption by the IGAD Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Declaration on Revitalization (18 April 1985) and the new charter (21 March 1996) extending its scope of activity conferred on IGAD a new mandate to address the challenges facing IGAD member States. By transforming itself from a drought and desertification control organization into a subregional development institution, IGAD was responding to several factors including: (a) The need for a regular consultative framework for conflict prevention and management; (b) The similarity of socio-economic problems and the need for a subregional and comprehensive approach to finding appropriate solutions; (c) The entry into force of the Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community whose implementation strategy is essentially based on convergence or gradual unification of the integration schemes of the subregional economic communities; and (d) The emergence/consolidation of regional trading blocs world-wide both as a response to and an instrument for managing the globalization and liberalization of the world economy.