A3+ STATEMENT BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR PEDRO COMISSÁRIO
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Madam President,
1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the members of the A3+ namely, Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone and my own country, Mozambique.
2. We thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Catriona Laing and Special Representative of the Chair of the African Union, Commissioner Mohamed El-Amine Souef for their important and informative briefings.
3. We welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Somalia in this meeting.
Madam President,
4. We take note of the report of the Secretary General on the situation in Somalia, the updates on the implementation of the mandates of UNSOM and UNSOS.
5. The A3+ is encouraged by the renewed efforts of UNSOM, and the support provided by UNSOS to ATMIS and the assistance to the Federal Government of Somalia in its state building process and peacebuilding initiatives.
6. We are particularly pleased and encouraged by the reform measures taken by the Federal Government of Somalia on the political, economic and security fronts.
7. We welcome Somalia’s admission to the East African Community which can potentially provide opportunities for stronger regional partnerships and trade which are the necessary building blocks to boost future economic development.
8. The A3+ commends the Government of Somalia on the attainment of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries completion point which will allow for an increase in domestic revenues of the country.
9. We agree with the Secretary-General that it will be critical in the period ahead to seize the momentum and further advance key national priorities through continued political dialogue and consensus.
Madam President,
10. The A3+ welcomes the joint meeting of the Independent Constitution Review and Implementation Commission and the Joint Parliamentary Constitutional Oversight Committee to undertake a technical analysis of the National Consultative Council agreement and discuss the proposed amendments contained in the first four chapters of the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
11. We hope that the process will involve wide consultations and include all sections of Somali society. In this regard, we urge all the relevant stakeholders to come together in the spirit of compromise and agree on the way forward for the constitutional review process and the electoral model to address all the raised concerns.
12. Furthermore, we wish to commend the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia for its appointment of women in key advisory roles. We encourage their participation as well as that of youths, people with disabilities and civil society organizations in governance and decision-making processes.
13. It is our view that a stable Somalia requires prosperous and stable regional settings. Therefore, we stress the importance of resolving all arising differences between the countries in the region through dialogue within the available regional tools and frameworks.
Madam President,
14. The A3+ commends the Government of Somalia for the progress made in the implementation of its Security Sector Plan and the consolidation of the security gains by the Somalia Security Forces, through its offensive against Al-Shabaab.
15. We further welcome the completion of phase 2 of ATMIS Drawdown plan bringing the total of withdrawn troops to 5000 as well as the handover of 13 Forward operating basis to the Somalia Security Forces.
16. In this vein, as the phase 3 of the drawdown plan of 4000 ATMIS troops is set to go into effect, we wish to underline the important role and coordination with the African Union Commission, the Federal Government of Somalia, the United Nations and international partners for their meaningful support. In this regard, we urge the international community to continue providing assistance to the security sector of Somalia.
17. The A3+ therefore welcomes the commitment expressed by the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia during the Somalia Security Conference held in New York, on 12 December 2023, to pursue its national security transition, including the vision presented for the future development of the Somali security forces.
18. We agree that we are heading towards the post-ATMIS phase which requires the contribution of all partners to build on the important gains achieved since the establishment of AMISOM then ATMIS. We, therefore, encourage that the discussion around post-ATMIS mission be effected with the necessary inclusiveness and participation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the AU, the UN and the international Partners.
19. The A3+ remains concerned by the threat posed by the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to the peace, security and stability of Somalia, including the recent use of improvised explosive devices.
20. We take this opportunity to condemn the mortar attack on Aden Adde International Airport Area on January 11, 2024, which killed a member of the UN Guard Unit. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased. We further draw attention to the transnational character of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and affirm that efforts to curb its expansion should, therefore, be multinational, coordinated and synergistic.
Madam. President,
21. The A3+ holds the view that it is essential for international partners to maintain their support to the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia in achieving its national strategic plans including in the security sector.
22. In this regard, we welcome the leading role played by the UNDP, UNSOS in support to the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation in the state building and reconciliation program endeavours, as well as efforts in the finalization of the National Reconciliation framework review.
23. We note with concern the devastating cycle of drought and flooding, further exacerbating the humanitarian crises and inhibiting the development in Somalia.
24. In this regard, we reiterate our call for the international community to further increase its financial support to the Federal Government of Somalia, so as to allow for a better and more comprehensive humanitarian assistance, as well as the implementation of development programs, with a view to addressing the root causes of vulnerability of the Somali people.
25. To conclude, Madam President, the A3+ would like to express its appreciation to the African Union, UNSOM, UNSOS and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in Somalia. We commend their hard work and commitment under challenging and often difficult conditions. This reflects their strong commitment and dedication to the Somali people.
I thank you, Madam President!