The need for regional cooperation commenced in the year 2000 bringing together eleven countries from the horn of Africa and Great Lake Region; namely: Republic of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Djibouti, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Eritrea, Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Uganda and Republic of Tanzania.
The initiative under golden spear which was sponsored by the United States government evolved over the period and settled on the establishment of a regional mechanism to attend to all disaster related matters..