The Mogadishu recovery and stabilization plan

The Mogadishu recovery and stabilization plan is an 18 month initiative which brings together several UN agencies to help improve the lives of Somali people and lay the groundwork for long term development.  The strategy capitalizes on recent territorial gains in Mogadishu, bringing tangible improvise to the lives of Somalis and working to prevent the security situation from slipping backwards.  The recovery strategy focuses on three sectors: human security, basic services and employment.  UNDP is involved in all sectors of the rehabilitation plan.

Roadmap to Governance, National Dialogue and Reconciliation in Somalia

A roadmap for ending the Transition period in Somalia was adopted on in Mogadishu on 6 September 2011 after a three day consultative meeting. The meeting considered four priority tasks for ending the Transition before 20 August 2012, namely: Security, Constitution, Reconciliation and Good Governance.

The Meeting was addressed by H.E. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, President of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Hon. Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP), H.E Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Prime Minister of the TFG, Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud, President of the Puntland State of Somalia, Mohamed Ahmed Alin, President of the Galmudug State of Somalia, and Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The Meeting was facilitated by Augustine P. Mahiga, Special Representative of United Nations Secretary-General.

Delegates included members of the TFIs, Puntland State of Somalia, Galmudug State of Somalia and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a. Approximately three dozen stakeholders from the international community also participated in the proceedings, including: regional organisations, namely: European Union, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, League of Arab States and Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

A special session on the humanitarian crisis and ongoing drought was held, during which the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Mark Bowden briefed participants.

The roadmap was signed by: H.E Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Prime Minister of the TFG; Abdi Farah Saeed, Minister of Education, Puntland State of Somalia; Mohamed Ali-Nur Hagi, Minister of Int. Cooperation, Galmudug; Khalif Abdulkadir Moalin Noor, Head of the Delegation, ASWJ and; Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi, DSRCC. Other signatories were Mohamed Said Omar, Senior Governance & Policy Advisor, IGAD; Mohamed Idris, Head of League of Arab States Mission in Somalia and; Augustine Mahiga, the SRSG for Somalia.

The road map is part of a dialogue process initiated from the Kampala Accord to support democratic transition in Somalia. There are four key benchmarks in the road map: security, constitution, reconciliation and good governance. The road map was approved by Parliament on 4th September in the presence of representatives from the UN and donor community.

10 million people affected across the Horn of Africa

Around ten million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Uganda are in need of humanitarian assistance as they're suffering from the effects of the worst drought in 60 years.

Somalia is worst hit in the drought. It's estimated that one quarter of Somalia's 7.5 million people are now either internally displaced or have trekked to neighboring Ethiopia or Kenya where they are living as refugees. 

The United Nations is focusing on scaling up relief delivery in regions affected by the drought; on improving security there to so that the affected areas are accessible to aid workers; and on mobilizing the funds and resources necessary to meet urgent needs of the people suffering from the drought.

UNDP is working with Somali authorities to better manage over-exploited rangelands, which are the main source of feed for the millions of livestock. The Organization is supporting the microfinance and private sector to help foster a broader and more resilient economy.  Ensuring food security goes beyond addressing agricultural production.   A comprehensive developmental approach with a medium to longer-term focus is required to ensure food security.Somali regions also requires better basic rural infrastructure, access to credit, resilience to shocks, and an end to armed conflict. 

Piracy in Somalia

Piracy is a symptom of the collapse of the Somali State characterized by ongoing conflict, instability, and lack of rule of law and livelihood opportunities. What can be done by the authorities and other stakeholders to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia?

World Environment Day, Sunday, June 5, 2011 – UNDP Somalia

The World Environment Day will be celebrated on Sunday, June 5, 2011. This year's theme is 'Forests: Nature at Your Service'. It underscores the intrinsic link between quality of life and the health of forests and forest ecosystems. The theme also supports this year's UN International Year of Forests. The global host of World Environment Day 2011 is India.

Forests play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide.  Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities.  They create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires.  Forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.  They also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations. 

Most of Somalia is typically sparse savanna with few forested areas. FAO statistics reveal that Somalia has 6,747,000 ha of Somalia of forested landmass of which 3,000 ha is classified as primary forests. Between 1990 and 2010 Somalia lost 1,535,000 ha of forest cover at an average rate of 76,750 ha annually. Somalia's forests contain 394 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. This is mainly due to deforestation owing to demand for wood fuel domestically and also for export to the Gulf States.  The most visible results of this action are desertification, soil erosion, and general environmental degradation. The highest price will be the long-term effect in desertification.

It is for this reasons that UNDP Somalia has placed great emphasis on environmental management in the 2011-2015 Country Programme Document. UNDP Somalia plans to support relevant ministries to develop natural resources management policies and regulatory frameworks, with focus on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction and; strengthen protection of environment through public awareness, use of appropriate technology and conservation of natural resources.

What can the different stakeholders do to conserve forests and increase forest cover in Somalia?

Sustainable Partnerships with the Somali Diaspora

A study commissioned by UNDP on the role of the Diaspora in relief, development and peace-building examines the motivations for support, the factors that influence it, the means and mechanisms by which it is mobilized and transferred to the Somali regions, and the ways in which local Somali actors put the support they receive to use. This report titled, Cash and Compassion: The Role of the Somali Diaspora in Relief, Development and Peace-building is based on research conducted in Somaliland, Puntland, South Central and a number of cities with a high concentration of Somalis in the diaspora. This is a follow–up to an earlier study titled, Somalia’s Missing Million,  commissioned by UNDP in 2009, which aimed at  creating understanding on Diaspora’s efforts into humanitarian and development planning and programming.

A validation session was held in Nairobi on 16th and 17th May, 2011 attended by over 100 participants from the Somali Diaspora (the US, Canada, the UK, the UAE, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Djibouti and Kenya), local Somali authorities, non-state actors and the international community.

How has the diaspora contributed to peace and development in Somalia?

International Women’s Day, 2011: Time to Make the Promise of Equality a Reality

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the United Nations Country Team website is highlighting the lives of Somali women, their struggle and their achievements. The UN as one recognises that Somali women are suffering due to the ongoing conflict which is currently exacerbated by the drought. 

The UN supports women in many ways in Somalia. Since 2008, some 1.3 million women have been vaccinated against neonatal tetanus across the country, including in Mogadishu. In 2010, more than 77,000 girls were newly enrolled in schools across the country and at least 1,520 women were treated for weapon-related wounds in the three main hospitals in Mogadishu.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity for us all to remember the circumstances in which women live in Somalia, suffering from poverty, lack of basic services, violence and drought. It is also reminds us what we are all working towards, together, in the UN, as one.