G/SPS/GEN/1831  
 
12 October  2020 
(20-6995) Page: 1/1 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
IGAD BRIEF UPDATE REPORT TO THE  SPS COMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE INTER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT (IGAD)  
The follow ing communication, received on 8 October  2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
Intergovernmental Authority on Development  (IGAD).  
 
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1.  The IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) is a regional technical 
center of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), a regional economic community 
serving the seven m ember States in East Africa (Djibouti , Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, 
Somalia and Uganda) . 
2.  Technical support provided for the above member States by IGAD/ICPALD during the reporting 
period  to enhance trans -boundary animal disease (TAD) control and livestock trade in the region , 
complementing the national development efforts of member States, include s: 
1  REGIONAL RISK ANALYSIS TRAINING TO SUPPORT DISEASE CONTROL AND SAFE 
TRADE IN IGAD REGION  
3.  The IGAD/ICPALD in collaboration with the European Commission for the Control of foot -and-
mouth disease (EuFMD) conducted a regional training for Veterinarians from three IGAD countries 
(Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda) following an "integrated training approach ", composed of online 
e-learning, face -to-face sessions and application and reporting phases; to create a critical mass of 
skilled experts to support safe trade and transboundary animal disease control. The trainees have 
gained skills to design and conduct  a qualitative risk assessment for FMD or another priority TADs, 
and are able to generate a report to help informing evidence -based and risk -based decision making.  
2  RIFT VALLEY FEVER (RVF) MONITORING AND ALERTS  
4.  The IGAD/ICPALD, in collaboration with FAO ECTAD, monitored RVF for any potential outbreak 
in high -risk countries in Eastern Africa. The purpose was to enable national authorities to implement 
measures to avert anticipated outbreaks following the flooding period. The RVF alert messages and 
risk maps were shared with Chief Veterinary Officers of 11 countries (IGAD and EAC), partners, and 
regional stakeholders through various networks and social media.  
3  THE SIGNING OF CROSS -BORDER BILATERAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 
(MOU ) AND IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK  
5.  The IGAD/ICPALD, in collaboration with AU -IBAR, facilitated the signing of the Ethiopia -Sudan 
cross-border MOU by both ministers. The MOU provides roadmaps for strengthening animal health 
delivery services and the management of priority TADs in the border areas. An implementation 
framework to operationalize the MOU was also developed by the two countries and endorsed. 
The implementation framework included coordination/governance arrangements at national and 
sub-national levels and identified short -term and medium -term activities to be implemented by 
IGAD/ICPALD, partners, and the two countries.  
6.  Acknowledgement: IGAD/ICPALD is grateful for member States, European Union , World Bank 
and FAO for coll aboration and/or financing the implementation of the above activities . 
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