By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Kenya, 27 November 2025 — Officials from Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states, development partners, and donors convened in Nairobi for the Biennial Ministerial Meeting to Evaluate the regional trade bloc's Support Platform on Forced Displacement on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by Souleiman Moumin Robleh, Secretary General of Djibouti’s Ministry of Interior, representing the current rotating presidency of IGAD.
The two-day event provides a forum to review regional progress in managing refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
IGAD Region sheltered 4.7 million refugees in 2024, revealing the scale of displacement driven by conflict and instability across the Horn of Africa.
Opening the technical sessions, Ambassador Moussa Meigague, Director of the IGAD Health and Social Development Division, highlighted the strategic role of the IGAD Support Platform, launched at the World Refugee Forum in 2019, in coordinating a collective regional response to forced displacement.
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Key priorities discussed included climate change impacts, urbanization pressures, protection and mobility needs, and better alignment between humanitarian, development, and peace initiatives.
In his ministerial address, Robleh outlined major policy developments since the 2017 Nairobi Declaration, including the 2023 IGAD Regional Policy Framework on Refugee Protection, the establishment of the Regional Refugee Engagement Forum, and progress integrating refugees into national education and health systems.
He emphasized regional unity, active participation of refugees in decision-making, integration of climate adaptation into protection policies, and the urgent need to mobilize additional funding, particularly in areas affected by the withdrawal of UNHCR.
Technical sessions scheduled through 26 November will evaluate past progress, identify challenges, and develop recommendations, which will be presented at the ministerial session on 27 November. Outcomes are expected to guide regional priorities for the next two years.
The IGAD Support Platform remains a central mechanism for harmonizing Member State policies, strengthening regional coordination, and promoting sustainable solutions for refugees and displaced populations.
