From 25-27 February 2026, the Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa (OSE‑HoA) deepened its collaboration with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) during the High‑Level Ministerial Meeting on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) held in Nairobi, Kenya. Convened in partnership with the Government of Japan and UN Women, the meeting offered a strategic platform for OSE‑HoA to reinforce its support to IGAD’s regional WPS priorities under the IGAD‑UN Joint Framework for Cooperation.
During the two‑day pre‑ministerial technical meeting, OSE‑HoA worked closely with IGAD and gender focal points from Member States to review and validate three key regional instruments aimed at strengthening inclusive mediation through coherent regional mechanisms, enhancing evidence‑based decision‑making by harmonizing gender‑disaggregated data, and integrating intersectional analysis into peace and security programming to reinforce youth and gender‑responsive mediation efforts.
At the Ministerial Meeting on 27 February, SESG Guang Cong delivered opening remarks, reaffirming OSE‑HoA’s commitment to advancing joint IGAD-UN efforts on WPS. He underscored the Office’s continued support for gender‑responsive political and mediation processes, the use of gender‑responsive data and intersectional analysis, and the effective implementation of WPS priorities under the IGAD‑UN Joint Framework for Cooperation.
As a key outcome, IGAD Ministers and representatives of member states formally endorsed the three instruments: the Roadmap for establishing the IGAD Women and Youth Mediation Advisory Board, the IGAD Gender Statistics Strategy (2026-2030), and the Gendered Intersectionality Toolkit. In doing so, they underscored their commitment to advance coordinated implementation of these frameworks, reinforcing regional efforts to promote inclusive, evidence‑based, and gender‑responsive peace and security initiatives.
