S/2020/858 Security Council

In accordance with the procedure agreed upon by the members of the Security Council in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, as set out in the letter dated 27 March 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to all members of the Council (S/2020/253), I would like to draw your attention to the following: The members of the Council have discussed a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in connection with the agenda item “The situation in Somalia”. That draft resolution has been put into blue (S/2020/846, see enclosure). In my capacity as President of the Security Council, I hereby put the abovementioned draft resolution to a vote. The non-extendable 24-hour voting period for the draft resolution will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 27 August 2020 and will expire at 5 p.m. on Friday, 28 August 2020. Please submit your vote (in favour, against or abstention) on the draft resolution, as well as your possible explanation of vote, by sending a letter to the Officer-in-charge of the Security Council Affairs Division in the United Nations Secretariat signed by the Permanent Representative or Chargé d’affaires a.i. within the non-extendable 24-hour voting period set out above. It is my intention to circulate a letter listing the outcome of the vote within three hours of the conclusion of the 24-hour voting period. I also intend to convene a video-teleconference of the Security Council to announce the outcome of the vote shortly after the conclusion of the voting period, on the afternoon of Friday, 28 August 2020.

Today’s vote on resolution 2540 (2020), regarding the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), underscores the strong and continued commitment of the United States and the international community to supporting peace, stability and development in Somalia. UNSOM remains a critical partner of the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal member states in bringing security and political and economic stability to the Horn of Africa region. In order to foster a clear understanding of the Security Council’s expectations in Somalia among all partners, we need an UNSOM mandate that precisely delineates the Organization’s roles and responsibilities and that avoids language unrelated to the Mission. However, given the context of the resolution and the Organization’s activities in Somalia, we believe that the eighteenth preambular paragraph and operative paragraph 13 should focus specifically on assessing risks and developing risk-management strategies related to the impacts of drought, desertification and food insecurity rather than on any particular potential cause of those impacts, such as climate change. The United States supports the inclusion of language in the UNSOM resolution that highlights the adverse effects of specific natural disasters on the stability of Somalia. Droughts, desertification, land degradation, food insecurity and ecological changes can all negatively impact the stability of any nation. We can and should ask the United Nations and Governments to consider those implications as part of their planning. We support the Organization’s efforts to carry out risk-assessment and risk-management strategies, as well as the Council’s role in addressing specific challenges such as droughts, desertification, land degradation, food insecurity and ecological changes. With respect to climate-change language in this document, the United States has submitted its notification to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The climate-change language in this resolution is without prejudice to our national position on the Paris Agreement. We affirm our support for promoting economic growth and improving energy security, while also protecting the environment.

It is an honour to address the Council for the second time this month, under the Indonesian presidency, on important matters and to highlight the progress my country has made towards inclusive politics. We welcome the adoption of resolution 2540 (2020), which, I believe, provides our Government with essential assistance and facilitates Somalia’s development policies in the areas of political inclusiveness, governance, the economy and security. Though there may be subtle differences in how Council members assess the current situation and priorities, we are all united in recognizing the important role that the United Nations continues to play in promoting peace and stability in Somalia. We believe that this resolution is aimed at ensuring that the support and assistance of the United Nations to Somalia, particularly that of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), can be truly effective. We are also confident that the Security Council, the international community and all other development partners for Somalia’s future will continue to support our current national reconstruction efforts, which must be Somali-driven and must be seen as Somali-driven. We therefore call for upholding Somalia’s sovereignty and caution against foreign intervention in Somalia’s affairs, especially its elections. With key political stakeholders in Somalia agreeing on an election model, now more than ever we ask the Security Council and our international partners for their dedicated support in promoting our efforts to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2020-2021. The logistics for our election, including operational activities and security require both time and significant funding. We therefore seek the timely, adequate technical and financial support of the relevant institutions and bodies mandated to organize and oversee federal elections, including the National Independent Electoral Commission. Despite all the progress that the Federal Government of Somalia has made in recent years, the UNSOM mandate seems to be transforming in a way that is not proportionate with the efforts and the proven achievements that the Federal Government has been making on the ground. That has caused the Mission’s actions to become reactive to events, with little ability to provide political support and technical assistance on critical outcomes that are fundamental to Somalia’s State- building agenda. We therefore offer two suggestions to make UNSOM reflect realities on the ground and respond accordingly in an effective manner. First, the Federal Government of Somalia reaffirms the Security Council’s decision, through resolution 2540 (2020), for the Secretary-General to conduct an independent assessment to forge a new path forward to ensure that the international community supports the security environment in Somalia beyond 2021. We also firmly believe that the time has come to reassess the mandate of the United Nations in Somalia with a view to formulating a Mission that is more flexible and responsive to the rapid changes and is properly aligned with Somalia’s priorities at this critical juncture. Secondly, in the interest of maximizing the utility of the Secretary-General’s quarterly reports, we suggest that they be redesigned to contain less narrative and fewer details about specific events and more in-depth analysis of major issues, as well as recommendations and conclusions. In conclusion, we welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2540 (2020) and appreciate the support and constructive engagement of the Council. In these times of unprecedented global crises, including the coronavirus disease pandemic, we are determined to take all necessary measures to tackle the complex challenges we face and must continue our unremitting efforts in that regard.