IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) with financial support from European Union and Technical Cooperation Fund (EU-TCF) organized a two-day workshop on cattle rustling in the region. The regional technical high-level experts validation meeting on findings of the social and economic costs of livestock rustling in the region was held on 2^nd-3^rd October 2019 in Entebbe, Uganda, to enrich and validate five country studies and a synthesized regional report on livestock rustling. This was followed by a one-day meeting of Ministers responsible for livestock resources on 4^th October who reviewed and adopted recommendations and action points on social and economic costs of livestock rustling, concluded from the technical workshop of high level experts.

The adoption will help in dissemination of the findings, further buy-in on the recommendations, and strengthening the existing approaches on curbing this deadly menace at national and local levels. Hon. Joy Kabatsi, State Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda, officially opened the meeting. She reminded the participants that livestock rustling is pre-dominantly practiced in Karamoja sub-region where livestock is an important livelihood activity. She added that the government through the disarmament process was able to manage and reduce incidents of rustling. Dr. Solomon J. M. Munyua-ICPALD Director, the Representatives of Ministers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia & Sudan, the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries-South Sudan all made welcome remarks.

Recommendations of the technical meeting centered around fostering and building peace among pastoral communities, improving delivery of social services, strengthening joint border initiatives, strengthening security mechanisms, establishing and diversifying complimentary livelihoods, eliminating illicit livestock trade and supporting & strengthening the role of civil society actors in curbing livestock rustling.

 The ministerial meeting committed to:

1. Galvanize political will at the highest level of Member States, in support of the recommendations of the technical experts meeting on social and economic costs of livestock rustling in the region.
2. Champion, convene and coordinate the efforts of all relevant public and private sector stakeholders in the implementation of the actionable recommendations of the aforementioned technical expert meeting.
3. Support the mobilization of the required technical and financial resources within Member States and in conjunction with IGAD Secretariat, secure development partners to finance the actionable activities within the recommendations as outlined in the roadmap to curb livestock rustling.
4. Support efforts of ICPALD to secure allocated of at least 50% of its budget from Member States contributions, as per the decision of the 45^th session of the IGAD Council of Ministers held in July 2012, in order for ICPALD to effectively deliver on its core functions as articulated in the ICPALD protocol.
5. Advocate for increased national budgetary allocations towards accelerated development of the livestock sector by driving the transformation and realization of the commercialization of this sector by Member States.

 ICPALD/IGAD expresses appreciation to EU-TCF project for funding this activity.