Garsoornews
LONDON(Garsoornews)–The
Somalia Conference took place at Lancaster House on 7 May 2013,
co-hosted by the UK and Somalia, and attended by fifty-four friends and
partners of Somalia.
We met at a pivotal moment for Somalia.
Last year Somalia’s eight-year transition ended and Somalia chose a new,
more legitimate Parliament, President and Government. Security is
improving, as Somali and AMISOM forces, and their Ethiopian allies,
recover towns and routes from Al Shabaab. The number of pirate attacks
committed off the coast of Somalia has drastically reduced. The famine
has receded. The diaspora have begun to return. The economy is starting
to revive.
But many challenges remain. Al Shabaab
is still a threat to peace and security. The constitution is not
complete. Piracy and terrorism remain threats. Millions still live in
Internally Displaced Persons and refugee camps. The country lacks
developed government structures, schools, hospitals, sanitation and
other basic services.
The Federal Government of Somalia has
set out its plans to address these challenges in its Six Pillar Policy.
At the Conference, the international community came together to agree
practical measures to support the Federal Government’s plans in three
key areas – security, justice and public financial management. The
Federal Government presented its vision for the implementation of
federalism, the adoption of a permanent constitution and holding of
elections. We also agreed to work together to tackle sexual violence in
Somalia.
We agreed that partnership between
Somalia and the international community would form the basis of our
future cooperation: the international community is committed to provide
coordinated and sustained support for implementation of the Federal
Government’s plans.
Political
We agreed that political progress
remains the key to ensuring long-term stability for Somalia. We welcomed
the Federal Government’s plans to resolve outstanding constitutional
issues, including the sharing of power, resources and revenues between
the Federal Government and the regions. We further welcomed the
Government’s commitment to hold democratic elections in 2016. We
reiterated our support for building capacity in democratic institutions
throughout Somalia, beginning with support for local elections in
Puntland next month.
We welcomed the dialogue on the future
structure of Somalia that has begun between the Federal Government and
the regions. We welcomed progress on forming regional administrations
and looked forward to the completion of that process. We encouraged the
regions to work closely with the Federal Government to form a cohesive
national polity consistent with the provisional constitution.
We welcomed the IGAD Extraordinary
Summit, held in Addis Ababa on 3 May under the chairmanship of Prime
Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, which agreed a framework for dialogue on
regional issues. We looked forward to further progress ahead of a
meeting of IGAD in the margins of the African Union Summit in May.
We welcomed the dialogue between the
Federal Government and Somaliland at Ankara in April 2013 to clarify
their future relationship, building on the meeting at Chevening in June
2012, and welcomed the Ankara communiqué. We expressed our appreciation
for the facilitating role played by Turkey.
We welcomed the protection of
fundamental rights in the constitution, and the Federal Government’s
commitment to uphold human rights, including by establishing an
independent National Human Rights Commission. We further welcomed the
Federal Government’s commitment to protect women and children, and take
steps to end the involvement of children in armed conflict. We commended
the recent visit of the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in
Conflict to Somalia, and the plan for a Somali and international team
of experts to make recommendations on how sexual violence could be
addressed. We agreed on the important role a free and independent media
should play in Somalia, and welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment
to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the killing of
journalists, and to promote press freedom.
Security
We shared the Federal Government’s view
that security is the essential prerequisite for further progress in all
other spheres. We commended the bravery and commitment of Somali and
AMISOM forces, and those fighting alongside them. We expressed
appreciation to countries contributing troops and police. We applauded
the forces’ successes in freeing towns and routes from Al Shabaab. We
reiterated the need for adequate and sustained funding for AMISOM,
welcomed partners’ support to date, and called upon new donors to
contribute.
We welcomed the Federal Government’s
determination to take responsibility for providing Somalia’s security.
We welcomed the Government’s plans for national security architecture
and for developing its armed forces, including the integration of
militias, and police. We welcomed the commitment to ensure that these
security structures are accountable, inclusive, proportionate and
sustainable; and respect a civilian chain of command, the rule of law,
and human rights. We recognised the need for support to help the
Government manage disengaged fighters.
We agreed to support implementation of
the Federal Government’s security plans including through existing
structures. We also agreed to provide assistance which should be
coordinated by the Federal Government.
We welcomed the extension of AMISOM’s
mandate for a further year in UN Security Council Resolution 2093. We
noted the partial suspension of the arms embargo as recognition of
political progress, and urged the Federal Government to fulfil its
obligations to provide safeguards to protect Somalia’s citizens and
neighbours.
We commended the Somalis and
international partners for progress made in combating piracy over the
last year including the efforts of Puntland and other regional or local
governments and welcomed the Federal Government’s Maritime Resource and
Security Strategy. We reiterated our determination to work with Somalia
to eradicate piracy and other maritime crimes, and expressed our support
for the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to establish
internationally recognised Somali waters, which will help it protect its
abundant maritime resources and revitalise economic activities, as well
as end toxic dumping and illegal fishing. We welcomed international
support to develop Somali maritime security capacities and looked
forward to the UAE conference in Dubai on 11-12 September. We welcomed
partners’ continued efforts to bring to justice to those behind piracy
and positive, ongoing initiatives in Somalia and the region. We
recognized the need for these efforts to be complemented by work on land
to generate alternative livelihoods and support communities affected by
piracy.
Justice and Policing
We welcomed the Federal Government’s
vision for equal access for all to a robust, impartial and effective
justice system. We commended its justice action plan setting out
immediate priorities for assistance, developed at the National Dialogue
on Justice in Mogadishu, and applauded this inclusive dialogue with
stakeholders.
We welcomed the Government’s four-year
action plan to create an accountable, effective and responsive police
service for Somalis. We agreed to align our assistance for both justice
and police behind Federal Government plans. We looked forward to the
establishment of a Rule of Law Fund, under the leadership of the Federal
Government, and invited UNDP and the Federal Government to present the
agreed governance and technical arrangements for the fund at the
Brussels Conference in September.
We committed to support the Government’s
efforts to combat terrorism. An effective and secure criminal justice
system, including the establishment and maintenance of prisons
administered with respect for human dignity, will be central to
Somalia’s ability to tackle terrorism in a human rights-compliant manner
and reduce the threat from Al Shabaab in the long-term.
Public Financial Management
The Federal Government set out its
determination to tackle corruption, and fund public services. We
welcomed the Government’s four-year plan to establish transparent and
effective public financial management systems. We encouraged the Federal
Government to establish more robust controls through the Ministry of
Finance’s operations including public reporting of budgets, expenditure
and audits. We committed to coordinate assistance using the structure
set out by the Government.
We acknowledged the Government’s
financing gap and urgent need for short-term support to pay for salaries
and operations while public financial management reforms are underway
and until sufficient domestic revenues can be collected. In this context
we welcomed the Federal Government’s creation of a Special Financing
Facility as an early opportunity for the Federal Government to
demonstrate its commitment to financial accountability and transparency.
In line with the outcomes of the G8
Foreign Ministers’ meeting, we welcomed the re-engagement of the
International Financial Institutions (the World Bank, the African
Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund), including IMF
recognition of the Federal Government and progress made at the Spring
Meetings.
We recognised the importance of
investment and economic growth to increase domestic revenue. We
encouraged investment into Somalia, recognising the important role the
diaspora could play.
Rationalisation of Funding
The Federal Government appealed to its
international partners to provide funding for Somali national plans. The
Federal Government expressed its appreciation for continued bilateral
support and asked partners to channel funding through mechanisms agreed
with the Federal Government, such as the Special Financing Facility and
the Rule of Law Fund, wherever possible. We looked forward to
development of a longer term sustainable financing architecture for
Somalia including a World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund which will be
important on the path to normalisation of Somalia’s financial
relationship with the International Financial Institutions.
Stabilisation
We welcomed the Federal Government’s
efforts to develop major initiatives on stabilization, including a
comprehensive strategy on disengaged fighters, alternative dispute
resolution and at-risk youth. The Federal Government appealed for
immediate support for stabilisation projects, to enable local
administrations to provide services for their people.
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
We recognised the importance of scaling
up efforts to create the conditions for the voluntary return and
reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees, in
accordance with international law. We praised neighbouring countries for
providing protection and assistance for refugees, and agreed to
continue supporting them in shouldering this burden. We recognised that
the return of refugees and IDPs should take place within a context of
increased security conditions and livelihoods opportunities. We endorsed
the tripartite dialogue initiated by the Somali and Kenyan governments
alongside UNHCR to develop modalities and a framework for safe, orderly,
sustainable return and resettlement of Somali refugees on a voluntary
basis, and looked forward to the forthcoming conference in Nairobi.
Role of Multilateral Organisations and International Support
We recognised the role of the United
Nations and the African Union in Somalia and welcomed their commitment
to a strengthened strategic partnership. We underlined the importance of
close coordination by both organisations with the Federal Government,
other international and regional organisations, and Member States. We
welcomed the creation of a new UN Assistance Mission (UNSOM) in Somalia
and urged the UN to deploy the mission by the target date of 3 June. We
recognised the important role of Somalia’s neighbours in promoting
long-term stability in the region, and encouraged IGAD to continue to
work to promote dialogue and mutual understanding. We underlined the
importance of EU action through its commitments in the fields of
security, development and humanitarian aid. We also recognised the role
of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
We recognised the valuable support
provided by bilateral partners, and encouraged them to continue their
efforts in coordination with others.
We acknowledged that the Somalia
Conference was one of a series of events in 2013 aimed at providing
international support to Somalia. We looked forward to the planned
Special Conference on Somalia on the socio-economic development agenda
in the margins of the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African
Development (TICAD V) in late May. Taking note of the Federal
Government’s commitment to implement the New Deal engagement in fragile
states in the form of a Compact, we welcomed Somalia’s efforts to
develop an overarching reconstruction plan encompassing Somali
priorities on inclusive politics, security, justice, economic
foundations, revenue and services. We looked forward to the EU/Somalia
Conference in Brussels in September.
Conclusion
The Conference agreed that Somalia had
made significant progress. We congratulated all who had made that
possible, notably the Somali people, Federal Government, Members of
Parliament, civil society and diaspora. We commended the sustained
commitment of Somalia’s international partners, and urged continued
results-orientated support. We recognised the need to consolidate
progress quickly and reiterated our determination to support Somalia
over the long-term.
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