S/PV.7491 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. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2015/567, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Angola, Chad, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. In favour: Angola, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2232 (2015). I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to address the Security Council once again. Somalia welcomes the adoption of today’s resolution 2232 (2015). Progress in Somalia since the transition in 2012 has been strong. We are building our institutions and making progress towards agreeing a federal structure ahead of elections in 2016. We are grateful for all the support we have received from our international partners in making that progress. The African Union Mission in Somalia has been with us on the front line of our efforts to free the people of Somalia from the threat of Al-Shabaab. We shall be forever grateful for the sacrifices that they have made. Al-Shabaab is getting weaker and weaker and controlling less and less territory. But, as we have seen in recent days and months, we still need to work together in order to eliminate the threat it poses in Somalia and all of East Africa. That is why today’s resolution is so important. It sets out the international community’s strong commitment to Somalia — something for which we are extremely grateful. For our part, we continue to work towards ensuring that Somalia can one day soon assume complete responsibility for its security. We have launched the Gulwade Plan as a framework for ensuring a fully integrated Somali National Army. We are doing the same for the police through the Hegen Plan. We appeal to international partners to support both Plans. On the political front, over the past two years some of the Somali Government priorities in achieving Vision 2016 milestones have been achieved in the form — as I have stated before in the Security Council — of the confirmation by the Federal Parliament of the members of the National Independent Electoral Commission and the Boundaries and Federation Commission, as well as the formation of the interim regional administrations — specifically, the the Interim Jubba Administration, the Interim South West Administration and the Galmudug Interim Administration. Important Government plans to be implemented in line with the progress I have mentioned include soon establishing the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle interim administration through increased trust, social cohesion and mutuality within local communities. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Sharmarke have both underlined their commitment to make sure that Vision 2016 is implemented and its goals achieved. We strongly welcome the support that the African Union Mission in Somalia has provided to the Federal Government. We pay tribute in particular to Ambassador Nicholas Kay, with whom the highest levels of the Government have a strong and frank working relationship. Somalia is changing. We are grateful for the support of the Security Council. We ask it to continue to support us in the critical months and years ahead.