In his speech, State Secretary Raščan expressed support for the work of the initiative. He mainly focused on environmental issues as the foremost priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, drawing attention to the challenges faced by the people of the Horn of Africa who, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, are also suffering from droughts and armed conflicts. He emphasised Slovenia’s efforts to adopt a comprehensive approach to water and water-related challenges at the regional and global levels through political dialogue, development assistance and humanitarian aid, climate change, cross-border cooperation and activities on water management related to international humanitarian law and human rights.

State Secretary Raščan said that the Horn of Africa needs support for adaptation to climate change, transfer of technologies, and a long-term integrated approach to address climate-related crises and their consequences, in particular climate-related migration. At the same time, he highlighted the great potential this region has because of its young population, while digital technology presents a cornerstone of the cooperation programme between the two continents and the building of a sustainable and prosperous future.

The initiative was born out of one of the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Development Fund held in Washington in 2019, where finance ministers and representatives of the Horn of Africa countries assessed the great importance of a coordinated development approach bringing together four countries faced with security, development, environmental and health challenges.