S/PV.9463 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/2023/807, 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 the members of the Council to document S/2023/758, 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 2705 (2023). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The Russian Federation supported the Security Council resolution to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) (resolution 2705 (2023)), prepared by our British colleagues. Somalia is now at an extremely important stage in its modern history. Contrary to all of the challenges, including the continued arms embargo, the Federal Government is successfully combating extremism. There are also results in State-building and the development of a national dialogue. We welcome Mogadishu’s leading role in resolving internal inter-clan conflicts in Laascaanood. Against this background, the role of the United Nations special political mission is growing significantly. We call on UNSOM to continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Federal Government of Somalia, within the bounds of its mandate. Work should be intensified to implement what the Security Council approved last year  — the recommendations for the independent strategic review of the Mission’s activities, including those related to launching the process of steadily handing over its functions to the United Nations country team. In providing assistance to the country, we call for strict adherence to the fundamental United Nations principles enshrined in General Assembly resolution 46/182, as the only consensus basis for international humanitarian assistance. Interference in the internal affairs of this State, including its legislative work in its sovereign Parliament, is unacceptable.

At present, as the political and security situation in Somalia is at a critical juncture, the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) is generally conducive to supporting Somalia’s political process and coordinating increased international assistance. Therefore, China just voted in favour of resolution 2705 (2023). At the same time, I would like to emphasize two points. First, the resolution refers to the UNSOM mandate in supporting the political process in Somalia and maintaining stability in the Laascaanood region. During the consultations, China emphasized that those tasks involved Somalia’s internal affairs and stressed that UNSOM should adhere to the Somalia-owned and Somalia-led principle with respect to the sovereignty and leadership of the Federal Government of Somalia. At the request of China and other members of the Council, the resolution was amended accordingly. China hopes that, in its future work, UNSOM will abide strictly by the Council’s mandate, strengthen communication and coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and refrain from imposing external solutions. Secondly, during consultations on the resolution, Council members explored ways of helping Somalia adapt to climate change. The Chinese side highlighted that the lack of financial resources is the main impediment facing Somalia and other African countries in tackling climate change. The Security Council should call on developed countries to honour their commitments by providing Somalia and other African countries with climate financing, which has been delayed for 14 years. Regrettably, those reasonable suggestions from the Chinese side failed to be incorporated in the resolution. China believes that, if the Council intends to effectively address climate change and security issues in the future, it should urge developed countries to translate their political commitments to support African countries in coping with climate change into concrete actions and actual funds.

Let me begin by thanking the penholder, the United Kingdom, for guiding the Security Council in finalizing the resolution we just adopted (resolution 2705 (2023)). The three African members of the Council (A3) voted in favour of the resolution, which renews the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) because, united in our common recognition, we understand the role of UNSOM in the effective implementation of the State-building initiatives in Somalia. Furthermore, our support for the resolution that has been adopted is in furtherance of the useful role that UNSOM plays in Somalia’s peacebuilding process. We therefore remain very supportive of UNSOM’s continued engagement for the peace, stability and progress of Somalia. In the context of the ongoing military operations against Al-Shabaab, the A3 is cognizant of the continued need to address the persistent threat of terrorism in the country. The resolution acknowledges that threat and expresses deep concern about the use of improvised explosive devices and the proliferation of weapons and ammunition. We are steadfast in our commitment to support the resolution of those threats and the implementation of comprehensive efforts to reduce it, stabilize Somalia and place the country on the path of peace and prosperity. The A3 strongly believes that the resolution holds the potential to expedite Somalia’s stabilization efforts and preserve the hard-won security gains, not only for Somalia but also for neighbouring countries. The A3 firmly believes that comprehensive assistance in the financial, technical and security domains is crucial to effectively assist Somalia at this critical juncture. In particular, the A3 advocates for careful consideration of fully lifting the arms embargo, as it would enable Somalia to acquire and stockpile weapons essential to combat extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab. We welcome the language in the resolution highlighting the importance of inclusive dialogue, local reconciliation processes and the meaningful participation of women to advance national priorities and support reconciliation, security and the transition. The A3 underscores the invaluable contributions of women in peacebuilding and the importance of promoting their involvement in national life. In the light of the prevailing dire humanitarian situation in Somalia, we appreciate that the resolution speaks to that concern and calls for increased support from donors to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people. Lastly, the penholder’s inclusive approach, which resulted in a consensus text, reflects — we believe — the shared commitment of the Council on this matter and should galvanize the impactful implementation of the provisions of the resolution.

I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

My delegation takes note of the resolution just adopted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) (resolution 2705 (2023)). In that regard, I would like to make the following points. First, this is a moment for the United Nations to renew its commitment to the Somali Government and people while strengthening coordination and consistency in the efforts among different entities and agencies of the United Nations and other regional and international partners. Therefore, it is essential to adopt a mandate capable of supporting the Government’s efforts to consolidate the country’s political stability, security and sustainable development. This is the tenth year since the establishment of the special political mission in Somalia. We firmly believe that Mission’s mandate should reflect the Somalia of today rather than Somalia of 2013. In that regard, we welcome the Council’s initiation of the transition into a United Nations country team presence in order to align with the Government’s articulated long-term development priorities. Furthermore, the fight against terrorism is not only won through military means, but it is also important to simultaneously address the drivers of violent extremism, such a lack of economic opportunities. As members are aware, there is no peace without development and no development without peace. Secondly, the United Nations presence in Somalia, in particular UNSOM, needs to operate and fulfil its mandate unambiguously, in a way that meets the expectations of the Government, including full respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia. Different interpretations and debates on the adopted model of federalism in terms of power- and resource-sharing among Somalis should not alter our shared United Nations commitment to a united Somalia. Thirdly, we draw attention to the persistent issue of high staff vacancy rates within UNSOM over the past seven years. Indeed, the persistent prevalence of long-vacant and unfilled positions, at the international and local levels, can signal the near end of the special political mission’s life cycle. We strongly encourage the Secretariat to expedite the conclusion of the 2022 staffing and configuration review. That will enhance the transition of UNSOM to the United Nations country team and facilitate the integration of all United Nations initiatives in Somalia while supporting the implementation of the Federal Government of Somalia’s long-term development priorities. We have taken significant steps towards achieving peace and political stability. While we look with optimism at the progress achieved, we are aware that peace gains must be consolidated as move towards sustainable development, and we remain committed in that regard.