S/PV.7078 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Somalia to participate in this meeting.

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Nicholas Kay, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome Mr. Kay, who is joining today’s meeting via videoconference from Mogadishu. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2013/709, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on Somalia. I now give the floor to Mr. Kay. Mr. Kay: Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to introduce the Secretary-General’s report on Somalia (S/2013/709) . At the outset, I would very much like to thank the Council for its continued support for peace and State-building in Somalia. The past three months have been eventful. When I briefed the Council on 12 September (see S/PV.7030), I warned that the impact of Somalia remaining a stronghold for terrorists would be felt well beyond Somalia’s borders — “from Bamako to Bangui”, I think was the phrase. Tragically, later in September, we saw a shocking demonstration of that truth at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi. As the Council knows, tackling the scourge of terrorism in Somalia requires a comprehensive approach. Political, military and development efforts are all needed. Somalia will be a stable partner in the region and the world when it has strong State institutions, including accountable and professional security forces, and when there is firm consensus among Somalis about how they wish to manage their affairs and resources. Reaching that agreement is primarily a political challenge. After 22 years of conflict, I believe Somalis are not just ready, they are desperate to rise to that challenge. In today’s briefing, I would like to update the Council on progress and highlight some of the problems that still remain. In the past three months, we have witnessed crises of a political, governance and security nature. I have worked hard with international partners and the Federal Government to turn those crises into genuine opportunities to make progress on long-standing problems. We cannot afford to be blithe. Progress is checkered on human rights, transparency, including the rule of law, good public financial management and the efficient delivery of public services. But the fact that Somalia’s institutions have weathered several storms in the past months gives me confidence that our hopes are not misplaced. On the military and security front, I am grateful to the Council for its wise decision in resolution 2124 (2013) to reinforce the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and, in particular, to allow the Somali National Army to benefit from a targeted logistics package when engaged in joint operations with AMISOM. Hard work is under way to implement the resolution, and I appreciate the open and consultative way in which the African Union is setting about both generating the additional forces, revising the AMISOM strategy and drawing up a new concept of operations for military and police forces. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) is contributing to that effort, particularly to ensure that support to AMISOM and the Somali security forces is in line with the Secretary-General’s human rights due diligence policy. I welcome the inclusion of the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa as a permanent member of the Military Operations Coordination Committee (MOCC) at its latest meeting, held on 26 November in Addis Ababa. After the United Nations, the European Union makes the second largest financial contribution to AMISOM costs. Theirs is a vital role. As the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, I stand ready to assist the work of the MOCC as required. I urge in particular that military and political strategies and plans be fully synchronized. To that end, I am pleased that on the ground AMISOM and UNSOM have formalized a senior leadership coordination forum. I look forward to a strategic planning retreat for the two missions early in 2014, following which I hope Ambassador Annadif, the Head of AMISOM, and I will again brief the Council jointly at the next 90-day review. Meanwhile, I wish, if I may, to use this opportunity to strongly appeal to donors and partners to contribute to the soon to be established United Nations trust fund for the supply of non-lethal support to the Somali National Army, in line with resolution 2124 (2013). Preparations are well under way to restart major offensive operations against Al-Shabaab-controlled areas. I note and welcome the intention of Ethiopia to provide some of the additional forces for AMISOM. A lack of any military helicopters, however, remains a major concern. Once again I urge the African Union and its member States to come forward with utility and attack helicopters. The United Nations, through the United Nations Support Office for AMISOM, stands ready to receive and fund related costs for up to 12 helicopters. Before I provide the Council with an update on efforts to strengthen Somali security institutions, I would like us all to focus a bit more on the political challenges of today. Somalia’s long-term success depends first and foremost on Somalis agreeing on a new political dispensation. Recognizing that, the Council has established the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia as a special political mission. Let me recall the immensity of the peaks to be climbed. The political landscape is dominated by several mountains stretching to the ever-closer horizon of 2016: first, the need for wide-ranging national and local reconciliation; secondly, a redrawing of Somalia’s political map of 18 regions into a lesser number of federal member states; thirdly, the finalizing of a new and permanent constitution; and fourthly, democratic elections in all of Somalia in 2016 — the first in nearly 50 years. On each of those tasks, the United Nations is actively and increasingly engaged in support of the Federal Government and in close collaboration with Member States. The New Deal Compact endorsed at the Brussels conference on 16 September provides a vital framework for all our joint efforts on peacebuilding and State-building, and in particular on the political track. For that reason, I have engaged personally and will continue to do so in support of the first Peacebuilding and State-building Goal, known as PSG1, which is about inclusive and legitimate politics. UNSOM will continue to work under the leadership of the Federal Government to provide technical assistance and strategic advice across all the peacebuilding and security goals of the New Deal, and with a special focus on PSG1. In January, I am very pleased to say, we shall also be working from our new secure offices within Villa Somalia, the seat of the Government in Mogadishu, which will reinforce that cooperation. The process of federalism is under way, but needs to be accelerated. Different regions have had different starting points, and several have begun discussions on the formation of the units that will make up the federal State. The overall package of power and resource-sharing is still, however, to be decided. We are politically and practically supporting that process, including the efforts of the Juba Interim Administration and the Federal Government to move ahead with the 28 August Addis Ababa agreement. We must not lose momentum in the Juba process. Success there will set the stage for reconciliation and state formation processes elsewhere in Somalia. Broad-based meetings in Baidoa and Beledweyne mark the beginning of the process of state formation in other regions, too. On democratization and elections, at the Federal Government’s request a United Nations elections needs assessment mission visited Somalia in November. Conceptual and technical planning is under way. There is no time to lose in preparing for the 2016 elections, but we need to get to them step by step. There are real risks of slips and possibly fatal accidents at each step. In Mogadishu, two crises have posed significant challenges in the past months. First, the voting out of the Prime Minister has been a political crisis, which has led to a slowing of progress on vital State-building tasks. The other — the resignation of the Central Bank Governor  — has been a body blow to international donor confidence. Both pose serious questions that have not yet been fully resolved, but both also give some cause for optimism. The removal by Parliament of Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon was handled in the end in accordance with the Provisional Constitution and Parliament’s own rules of procedure. In years gone by, such political disagreement would often be resolved by fighting and the spilling of blood. In today’s Somalia, debating and voting settled the matter — a sign that Somalia’s institutions are coming of age. The priority now is to quickly establish a new Government that will bring Somalis together and that has the skills and integrity to deliver what people need: peace, jobs and public services. It will then be important that Parliament, the Government and the presidency continue to work in harmony, respecting fully the Provisional Constitution. With regard to the other crisis, the resignation on 30 October of Ms. Yussur Abrar, Governor of the Central Bank, drew stark attention to the need for more robust public financial management and transparency. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has responded rapidly and consultatively to that challenge. He appointed Bashir Isse Ali, on 27 November, as the new interim Governor following careful consultation. I have brought the international community and donors together on several occasions to address the crisis, including through a series of meetings with the President. I welcome the active role being played by the World Bank and more recently by the International Monetary Fund in assisting the Government to put in place the necessary measures to restore both Somali and international confidence in public financial management. With the right political leadership by the President and the Federal Government of Somalia, I am confident that words will be turned into actions. Respect for human rights lies at the heart of any sustainable political progress. The Prime Minister of Somalia briefed the Human Rights Council on 24 September, which I also attended. We heard there two things: powerful testimony to the severe human rights problems faced by many Somalis and strong commitments from the Federal Government to addressing them by building stronger institutions and human rights mechanisms. Some progress has been made since September. The Federal Government announced on 26 November the creation of a Directorate General for Human and Minority Rights and the Rule of Law. The Directorate will take the lead in the finalization and implementation of the Government’s Post-Transition Human Rights Road Map. Meanwhile, Parliament has yet to deliberate on the bill on the establishment of the human rights commission, a national institution required by the Constitution, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child still awaits ratification. This today is not the place for a detailed account of the human rights situation, but the handling of cases of alleged rape and sexual violence has continued to cause concern despite the clear commitment of the President and Government to ensuring due process. Part of the long-term answer to many of the challenges faced by women is to ensure women’s full representation and participation in local, regional and national decision-making processes. On 4 December, we celebrated in Mogadishu the Open Day on Women, Peace and Security. Forty women’s representatives from across Somalia presented a statement to the President of Somalia on their concerns and engaged in an open debate with him. As the United Nations, we shall actively support women’s full participation in Somalia’s complex political processes in the coming years. Somalia’s political map consists not only of southern and central Somalia. Formal relations between the Puntland State of Somalia and the Federal Government remain suspended. Puntland, however, continued with preparations for upcoming indirect presidential elections, in January. I have visited Puntland twice in the last three months to try to help ensure that January’s elections are peaceful and credible and yield a result that everyone respects. UNSOM is working closely with international partners, who will continue to stay engaged. In Somaliland, differences have developed between the Government and the opposition. Opposition figures have, on occasion, been arrested or prevented from travelling. We shall keep watch on the situation, which is heading towards general elections in Somaliland in 2015. But since Somaliland continues to reject UNSOM’s mandate, our operations there remain on hold. While Somalia’s problems are increasingly being addressed through political processes, building capable security institutions and forces remains equally important. UNSOM is playing an ever more important role in assisting the Federal Government to coordinate international support to the security sector. We provide advice and technical assistance for the Government’s defence sector working group, the Somali police force’s strategic planning team, and the justice and corrections steering committee, which met for the first time on 24 November in Mogadishu. We are making this progress, unfortunately, against the backdrop of the assassination of four judges between 6 and 30 November, which highlights the importance of putting in place, without delay, enhanced judicial security structures and systems. UNSOM has prioritized making progress on supporting the Government’s efforts to receive disengaged combatants from armed groups, especially Al-Shabaab. The second Government-endorsed disengaged combatants transitional centre opened in Beledweyne, central Somalia in November. On-site preparations for a third disengaged combatants transitional centre, in Baydhabo, are also being launched this month under the management of the International Organization for Migration. Somalia has not faced only political crisis. Humanitarian agencies have focused on responding to two new emergencies in November and December. That followed a tropical storm that made landfall on the Somali coast on 10 November, prompting the Puntland State authorities to declare a natural disaster emergency. The humanitarian community conducted rapid assessments and initiated a response. According to humanitarian partners, a large majority of the 4,000 to 5,000 affected households had been reached with most urgent humanitarian assistance 10 days after the storm struck. Mid- to long-term needs are currently being assessed. Seasonal rains, which started at the end of September, have contributed to flooding, especially in and around Jowhar, in the region of middle Shabelle. Eleven thousand households are estimated to have been affected. The situation was compounded by the outbreak of clan fighting in early November, which displaced an estimated 3,000 households. United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Philippe Lazzarini visited the still-flooded area on 5 December, and subsequently the common humanitarian fund has allocated nearly $1.2 million for emergency health support and safe water. Humanitarian partners are also looking at contingency plans to ensure preparedness and response for the possibility of increased food insecurity in Somalia. In late November, the Famine Early Warning System Network warned of a likely deterioration in food security in parts of Somalia in the coming months, due in part to the climactic shocks mentioned just now. Following the signing on 10 November of the tripartite agreement among Kenya, Somalia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support the voluntary return of Somali refugees, UNHCR will offer assistance to an initial estimated 10,000 Somali refugees who are opting to repatriate, during a six-month pilot phase from December to May 2014. On 1 January, UNSOM becomes an integrated mission, and the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator post will take on the role of a Deputy Special Representative. That will be an important milestone, but integrated work is already under way. We have launched the preparation of an integrated strategic framework to guide our work. Meanwhile, UNSOM and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes are working in joint teams on rule of law and security institutions through the global focal point initiative and on constitutional review, elections, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, human rights and planning. After 1 January, one thing will not change — humanitarian work will continue to be done in strict accordance with humanitarian principles and based on needs. The integration of our activities will be helped greatly when the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes begin to return to their compounds in Mogadishu in the coming weeks. After the attack on the United Nations common compound on 19 June, there have been extensive security reviews and additional measures have been put in place to allow that progressive return. Mogadishu remains a risky place to work, and Al-Shabaab has shown a consistent intent to target international partners, including the United Nations. That intent still exists. I welcome the request by the Council in resolution 2124 (2013) to be presented with detailed proposals for deployment of an additional United Nations guard unit to protect UNSOM in Mogadishu. I believe that without such a guard unit we will lack sufficiently robust security measures to allow us to operate consistently in Mogadishu at full strength and without interruption. A recent reconnaissance mission to Mogadishu determined that the guard unit would need to comprise 410 personnel, and I believe that the Secretary-General will shortly request the Council’s concurrence for that deployment. “What does not kill you makes you stronger”, I am told. None of the crunches and crises that Somalia has faced in the last three months has turned out to be as bad as the prophets of doom had predicted. The Central Bank crisis should lead to tighter financial oversight. The no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister has tested parliamentary institutions and found them strong. Even the horrific Westgate attack has galvanized international support, both to AMISOM and to the Somali national forces. My heartfelt condolences go to the victims of that terrorist attack and of many in Somalia, in Beledweyne, Mogadishu and most recently in Bosaso, as well as of many smaller incidents. Such cruel violence only strengthens our resolve. I thank the Council for its unswerving support for our work in Somalia. It would be fair, I think, to say that all in the United Nations are in the business of silver linings. The new, emerging Somalia deserves the Council’s support. The United Nations will continue to back the voices of hope, not despair, and of opportunity, not crisis.

I thank Mr. Kay for his briefing. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion of the subject.