13-09-2017, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia): Representatives from the IGAD Member States drawn from refugee agencies and ministries responsible for planning, local government and foreign affairs met in Addis Ababa to validate the road map and results framework of the Nairobi Action Plan on durable solutions for Somali refugees and reintegration of returnees in Somalia. This concluded the preparatory work that laid out a regional roadmap on how to deliver the commitments made by IGAD Heads of State and Government at the Special Summit on Somali refugees held in Nairobi on 25 March 2017. The preparatory work was coordinated by a core group of partners comprised of IGAD, EU and the UNHCR. Other development actors such as the UNDP and the World Bank have since joined this core group to support implementation of programmes aimed at stabilizing Somalia and enhancing self-reliance and access to services and assistance for refugees and host communities across the East and Horn of Africa.
The Nairobi Declaration and the accompanying Plan of Action agreed upon during the March 2017 Summit set out a comprehensive regional approach and commitments at four levels: accelerating solutions in Somalia by creating an environment conducive for voluntary and sustainable returns; delivering durable solutions, whilst maintaining protection and asylum space, and promoting the self-reliance and inclusion of refugees in countries of asylum; strengthening sub-regional co-operation; and increasing international responsibility sharing. The results framework further details the actions required to achieve set targets in the intervention areas above, identifying key indicators and milestones. This forms the core structure of the IGAD Regional Framework for Durable Solutions which will be continuously aligned to the respective national plans that reflect country commitments made within the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants, the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the Addis Ababa Commitment of 2014.
The first progress report that will take stock of the achievements by the countries and progress made at the regional level will be presented in November, 2017, at the Regional Inter-ministerial Committee meeting.