The International Somalia Conference final communiqué.
7 May 2013
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Somalia Conference took place at Lancaster House on 7 May 2013, co-hosted by
the UK and Somalia, and attended by fifty-four friends and partners of
Somalia.
We met at a pivotal moment for Somalia. Last year Somalia’s eight-year
transition ended and Somalia chose a new, more legitimate Parliament,
President and Government. Security is improving, as Somali and AMISOM
forces, and their Ethiopian allies, recover towns and routes from Al
Shabaab. The number of pirate attacks committed off the coast of Somalia has
drastically reduced. The famine has receded. The diaspora have begun to
return. The economy is starting to revive.
But many challenges remain. Al Shabaab is still a threat to peace and
security. The constitution is not complete. Piracy and terrorism remain
threats. Millions still live in Internally Displaced Persons and refugee
camps. The country lacks developed government structures, schools,
hospitals, sanitation and other basic services.
The Federal Government of Somalia has set out its plans to address these
challenges in its Six Pillar Policy. At the Conference, the international
community came together to agree practical measures to support the Federal
Government’s plans in three key areas – security, justice and public
financial management. The Federal Government presented its vision for the
implementation of federalism, the adoption of a permanent constitution and
holding of elections. We also agreed to work together to tackle sexual
violence in Somalia.
We agreed that partnership between Somalia and the international community
would form the basis of our future cooperation: the international community
is committed to provide coordinated and sustained support for implementation
of the Federal Government’s plans.
Political
We agreed that political progress remains the key to ensuring long-term
stability for Somalia. We welcomed the Federal Government’s plans to resolve
outstanding constitutional issues, including the sharing of power, resources
and revenues between the Federal Government and the regions. We further
welcomed the Government’s commitment to hold democratic elections in 2016.
We reiterated our support for building capacity in democratic institutions
throughout Somalia, beginning with support for local elections in Puntland
next month.
We welcomed the dialogue on the future structure of Somalia that has begun
between the Federal Government and the regions. We welcomed progress on
forming regional administrations and looked forward to the completion of
that process. We encouraged the regions to work closely with the Federal
Government to form a cohesive national polity consistent with the
provisional constitution.
We welcomed the IGAD Extraordinary Summit, held in Addis Ababa on 3 May
under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, which agreed
a framework for dialogue on regional issues. We looked forward to further
progress ahead of a meeting of IGAD in the margins of the African Union
Summit in May.
We welcomed the dialogue between the Federal Government and Somaliland at
Ankara in April 2013 to clarify their future relationship, building on the
meeting at Chevening in June 2012, and welcomed the Ankara communiqué. We
expressed our appreciation for the facilitating role played by Turkey.
We welcomed the protection of fundamental rights in the constitution, and
the Federal Government’s commitment to uphold human rights, including by
establishing an independent National Human Rights Commission. We further
welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to protect women and children,
and take steps to end the involvement of children in armed conflict. We
commended the recent visit of the UN Special Representative on Sexual
Violence in Conflict to Somalia, and the plan for a Somali and international
team of experts to make recommendations on how sexual violence could be
addressed. We agreed on the important role a free and independent media
should play in Somalia, and welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to
investigate and prosecute those responsible for the killing of journalists,
and to promote press freedom.
Security
We shared the Federal Government’s view that security is the essential
prerequisite for further progress in all other spheres. We commended the
bravery and commitment of Somali and AMISOM forces, and those fighting
alongside them. We expressed appreciation to countries contributing troops
and police. We applauded the forces’ successes in freeing towns and routes
from Al Shabaab. We reiterated the need for adequate and sustained funding
for AMISOM, welcomed partners’ support to date, and called upon new donors
to contribute.
We welcomed the Federal Government’s determination to take responsibility
for providing Somalia’s security. We welcomed the Government’s plans for
national security architecture and for developing its armed forces,
including the integration of militias, and police. We welcomed the
commitment to ensure that these security structures are accountable,
inclusive, proportionate and sustainable; and respect a civilian chain of
command, the rule of law, and human rights. We recognised the need for
support to help the Government manage disengaged fighters.
We agreed to support implementation of the Federal Government’s security
plans including through existing structures. We also agreed to provide
assistance which should be coordinated by the Federal Government.
We welcomed the extension of AMISOM’s mandate for a further year in UN
Security Council Resolution 2093. We noted the partial suspension of the
arms embargo as recognition of political progress, and urged the Federal
Government to fulfil its obligations to provide safeguards to protect
Somalia’s citizens and neighbours.
We commended the Somalis and international partners for progress made in
combating piracy over the last year including the efforts of Puntland and
other regional or local governments and welcomed the Federal Government’s
Maritime Resource and Security Strategy. We reiterated our determination to
work with Somalia to eradicate piracy and other maritime crimes, and
expressed our support for the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to
establish internationally recognised Somali waters, which will help it
protect its abundant maritime resources and revitalise economic activities,
as well as end toxic dumping and illegal fishing. We welcomed international
support to develop Somali maritime security capacities and looked forward to
the UAE conference in Dubai on 11-12 September. We welcomed partners’
continued efforts to bring to justice to those behind piracy and positive,
ongoing initiatives in Somalia and the region. We recognized the need for
these efforts to be complemented by work on land to generate alternative
livelihoods and support communities affected by piracy.
Justice and Policing
We welcomed the Federal Government’s vision for equal access for all to a
robust, impartial and effective justice system. We commended its justice
action plan setting out immediate priorities for assistance, developed at
the National Dialogue on Justice in Mogadishu, and applauded this inclusive
dialogue with stakeholders.
We welcomed the Government’s four-year action plan to create an accountable,
effective and responsive police service for Somalis. We agreed to align our
assistance for both justice and police behind Federal Government plans. We
looked forward to the establishment of a Rule of Law Fund, under the
leadership of the Federal Government, and invited UNDP and the Federal
Government to present the agreed governance and technical arrangements for
the fund at the Brussels Conference in September.
We committed to support the Government’s efforts to combat terrorism. An
effective and secure criminal justice system, including the establishment
and maintenance of prisons administered with respect for human dignity, will
be central to Somalia’s ability to tackle terrorism in a human
rights-compliant manner and reduce the threat from Al Shabaab in the
long-term.
Public Financial Management
The Federal Government set out its determination to tackle corruption, and
fund public services. We welcomed the Government’s four-year plan to
establish transparent and effective public financial management systems. We
encouraged the Federal Government to establish more robust controls through
the Ministry of Finance’s operations including public reporting of budgets,
expenditure and audits. We committed to coordinate assistance using the
structure set out by the Government.
We acknowledged the Government’s financing gap and urgent need for
short-term support to pay for salaries and operations while public financial
management reforms are underway and until sufficient domestic revenues can
be collected. In this context we welcomed the Federal Government’s creation
of a Special Financing Facility as an early opportunity for the Federal
Government to demonstrate its commitment to financial accountability and
transparency.
In line with the outcomes of the G8 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, we welcomed
the re-engagement of the International Financial Institutions (the World
Bank, the African Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund),
including IMF recognition of the Federal Government and progress made at the
Spring Meetings.
We recognised the importance of investment and economic growth to increase
domestic revenue. We encouraged investment into Somalia, recognising the
important role the diaspora could play.
Rationalisation of Funding
The Federal Government appealed to its international partners to provide
funding for Somali national plans. The Federal Government expressed its
appreciation for continued bilateral support and asked partners to channel
funding through mechanisms agreed with the Federal Government, such as the
Special Financing Facility and the Rule of Law Fund, wherever possible. We
looked forward to development of a longer term sustainable financing
architecture for Somalia including a World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund which
will be important on the path to normalisation of Somalia’s financial
relationship with the International Financial Institutions.
Stabilisation
We welcomed the Federal Government’s efforts to develop major initiatives on
stabilization, including a comprehensive strategy on disengaged fighters,
alternative dispute resolution and at-risk youth. The Federal Government
appealed for immediate support for stabilisation projects, to enable local
administrations to provide services for their people.
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
We recognised the importance of scaling up efforts to create the conditions
for the voluntary return and reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) and refugees, in accordance with international law. We praised
neighbouring countries for providing protection and assistance for refugees,
and agreed to continue supporting them in shouldering this burden. We
recognised that the return of refugees and IDPs should take place within a
context of increased security conditions and livelihoods opportunities. We
endorsed the tripartite dialogue initiated by the Somali and Kenyan
governments alongside UNHCR to develop modalities and a framework for safe,
orderly, sustainable return and resettlement of Somali refugees on a
voluntary basis, and looked forward to the forthcoming conference in
Nairobi.
Role of Multilateral Organisations and International Support
We recognised the role of the United Nations and the African Union in
Somalia and welcomed their commitment to a strengthened strategic
partnership. We underlined the importance of close coordination by both
organisations with the Federal Government, other international and regional
organisations, and Member States. We welcomed the creation of a new UN
Assistance Mission (UNSOM) in Somalia and urged the UN to deploy the mission
by the target date of 3 June. We recognised the important role of Somalia’s
neighbours in promoting long-term stability in the region, and encouraged
IGAD to continue to work to promote dialogue and mutual understanding. We
underlined the importance of EU action through its commitments in the fields
of security, development and humanitarian aid. We also recognised the role
of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
We recognised the valuable support provided by bilateral partners, and
encouraged them to continue their efforts in coordination with others.
We acknowledged that the Somalia Conference was one of a series of events in
2013 aimed at providing international support to Somalia. We looked forward
to the planned Special Conference on Somalia on the socio-economic
development agenda in the margins of the fifth Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in late May. Taking note of the
Federal Government’s commitment to implement the New Deal engagement in
fragile states in the form of a Compact, we welcomed Somalia’s efforts to
develop an overarching reconstruction plan encompassing Somali priorities on
inclusive politics, security, justice, economic foundations, revenue and
services. We looked forward to the EU/Somalia Conference in Brussels in
September.
Conclusion
The Conference agreed that Somalia had made significant progress. We
congratulated all who had made that possible, notably the Somali people,
Federal Government, Members of Parliament, civil society and diaspora. We
commended the sustained commitment of Somalia’s international partners, and
urged continued results-orientated support. We recognised the need to
consolidate progress quickly and reiterated our determination to support
Somalia over the long-term.
Further information
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Somalia Conference 2013
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Received on Tue May 07 2013 - 21:07:07 EDT
