S/PV.9044 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/2022/412, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2022/392, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Somalia. 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.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2632 (2022). I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

At the outset, I would like to send our sincere condolences to the Government of the United States of America and the families that were impacted by the massacre at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Somalia welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2632 (2022), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) for five months to conduct the strategic review by October. This is the moment for the international community to renew its commitment to the Somali people and, at the same time, strengthen coordination and consistency in the efforts among the different entities and agencies of the United Nations and other regional international partners, thereby creating an environment capable of advancing the Federal Government of Somalia’s priority to achieve political stability, security and sustainable development. Despite all the progress of the Federal Government of Somalia in many areas since the establishment of the special political mission in Somalia, UNSOM’s mandate and activities seem to be increasing in a way that is disproportionate. That has caused the Mission’s actions to become more reactive to events, with little ability to prioritize and properly address the evolving political and security developments. We look forward to engaging with the Department of Political Affairs in a consultative process of analysis and assessment of the current mandate in the process of the strategic review. We believe that the following three considerations should guide us regarding the Secretary-General’s strategic review. First, we stress that, in formulating options for the future United Nations presence, it must be led by the needs and expectations of the Somali people and their leadership. The review must take into account the need for national ownership and must always be aligned with the national priorities. The Somali Government is now in a position to articulate those priorities and lead the discourse. Secondly, in the process of the review it is important to clearly identify defined, measurable and realistic benchmarks to track UNSOM’s timely execution and achievement of its tasks, while reducing fragmentation, to advance efficient and effective delivery. Furthermore, the end state must be clear, encompassing a common understanding and a shared vision of the road map for the transition from special political mission to United Nations country team. Last but not least, the international community must remain strongly committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia. The United Nations should be geared towards safeguarding the territorial integrity of, and federalism in, Somalia. Different interpretations and discussions of federalism in terms of power-sharing or revenue-sharing among the Somalis in different regions should not alter the United Nations shared commitment to a strong and united Somalia. It is also crucial that all necessary efforts continue to be undertaken to implement measures against the internal and external actors who are attempting to undermine peace and stability in Somalia. In conclusion, we look forward to the Secretary- General’s strategic review of the United Nations efforts in Somalia, which, we trust, will take into account the progress as it presents options that are fully aligned with the Federal Government’s priorities in enhancing the coordination of the United Nations system in Somalia. It is essential that the United Nations work in a spirit of collaboration and synergy with the Federal Government of Somalia. We have taken significant steps towards achieving peace and stability and towards establishing a more legitimate and representative Government, with the new leadership capable of guiding the future of the Somali people. While we look with optimism at the significant progress achieved in security matters, we are aware that that progress must be consolidated on various fronts. Somalia, as a viable Member of the United Nations, is ready to contribute to guiding our country, our region and the world towards peace, sustainable development and economic growth.