YouSaid · the spoken record

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

lines on the record: 57
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2022-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“When we have many early national and international warning systems in place, it is better and more prudent to plan ahead and focus on building resiliency by finding and financing durable solutions that help to deliver sustainable development for the most vulnerable across the world. In Somalia, we have a wise saying that one finger cannot wash your whole face. If we work together sincerely and collaboratively as a community of nations, no challenge, no matter how big it is, is insurmountable.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“For its part, the Somali Government is committed and determined to defeat international terrorism alongside all its international partners, address extreme poverty, raise the environmental consciousness of our population, mitigate the worst of the climate change impact and rebuild an inclusive, resilient and people-centred society and economy through our successful ongoing socioeconomic reform programme. That is the basis for the transformative solutions that will help us mitigate and overcome the interlocking challenges that our nations face today and pave the way for future progress and prosperity. The most important lesson we have learned from dealing with the multiple, complex and interconnected crises in Somalia is that we must not always be behind, but must plan for and respond to the worst emergencies.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Our Government must facilitate and improve further the enabling environment necessary for that private investment. In conclusion, there is no escaping the vicious cycle of complex and interconnected global crises, which challenges our citizens and the wider world. What is even more worrisome is that they have become repetitive, and without strong bilateral, multilateral civil society and private sector partnerships, they cannot be addressed effectively anywhere or by any single nation or geographic region alone. In the absence of urgent and effective joint action starting today, the dream of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 will remain just that — a mere distant dream.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“However, given Somalia’s fragile economic situation as a recovering post-conflict State, the financing of global development priorities must be underpinned by a common international commitment to supporting countries like ours with more concessionary financing, capacity-building and investment in all areas that can strengthen resilience to today’s multiple crises, including climate change, insecurity and the provision of social protection for the most vulnerable in our societies. We must also facilitate and promote private sector investment and participation in overcoming those challenges to transition from what is now simply referred to as a corporate social responsibility to common social prosperity, in which we all contribute our fair share.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In Somalia, we are working to enhance our economic capacity through a rigorous economic and financial reform programme that will strengthen Somalia’s economy, improve public financial management and mobilize more urgently needed domestic resources to ensure a more sustainable and swift response to the crisis. We are very grateful to international financial organizations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which support Somalia in implementing real economic and financial reform.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Furthermore, the Somali Government is sincerely committed to working with all its partners to effectively train, equip and sustain its armed forces, with a view to moving forward fully. That is the only long-term sustainable solution for stability and progress in our country, the region and the world at large. The Somali Government is working within a complex network of challenges that include the effects of climate change and poverty. Without predictable and committed national and international financing, it will not be possible to find transformative solutions to the interlocking challenges we face today.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We are fully committed to doing the heavy lifting to secure our future. However, to deliver the killer blow to the violence and insecurity, we must think past the notion of containing and degrading Al-Shabaab or any other terrorist organization, anywhere in the world. We know that those policies are no longer as effective as they were once thought to be at this advanced stage in the fight against the ever-evolving global terrorism threat. Instead, we need to focus all our joint efforts on the Somali Government’s new strategy of militarily, ideologically and financially challenging terrorism and terrorists to ensure that they are comprehensively defeated, once and for all and quickly.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As recently as this past month, more towns and villages were recovered as a result of our offensive military operations, with the support of local communities. We are now confident that with enhanced public support, our Government will eliminate terrorism from Somalia because the Somali people have finally realized that Al-Shabaab’s repressive actions will not end until we all take action to achieve that. In a nutshell, the Somali people now believe that Al-Shabaab can and will be defeated, and that is our real source of energy and inspiration, as a Government in the fight against international terrorism. At the policy level, the Somali Government will continue to work with all its partners, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, in the fight against global terrorism.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“At the height of the humanitarian crisis, the group, which falsely claims to be Islamic, blew up desperately needed water wells and water catchment areas, banned transportation carrying food and killed innocent people, who were already struggling to live because of the impact of the severe drought in our country today. That is the true criminal and despicable face and intentions of terrorists and terrorism. On its part, the Somali Federal Government and its federal member states, with the direct support of our brave and resilient people, are responding by challenging and defeating the remaining terrorist groups in major localities. The Somali people have begun to organically rise up in support of their Government’s call to free themselves and their nation from the evils of terrorism.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In Somalia, we are actively fighting the terrorist group called Al-Shabaab, which is an affiliate of Al-Qaida, and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham, separately. Both criminally misrepresent the beautiful and peaceful Islamic religion and values to destabilize the region and, in the process, terrorize the Somali people and their brothers and sisters in neighbouring countries and across the world. In recent weeks, the unprovoked, violent and senseless actions of Al-Shabaab against innocent civilians across Somalia have highlighted the urgent need for an expedited common national and international response to defeating the group, on a permanent basis, to advance regional and global security.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Terrorism remains a persistent and complex challenge that both contributes to and exacerbates all other crises, including food insecurity, the displacement of people from their homes and climate change. Terrorists have no religion or human values. They are violent criminals who simply seek to terrorize innocent people. We must continue to stand up to them with all our collective strength and effort. Nowhere in the world has there been an example of a terrorist organization succeeding against a united Government and people, let alone governing justly, as may be falsely claimed. The most important lesson we have learned in the long modern war against international terrorists and terrorism is that neither can be contained or degraded. They need to be comprehensively defeated, wherever they exist.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Our people, who have a long tradition of living harmoniously with nature and who barely contribute to the poisonous emissions warming the Earth, are the ones paying with their lives today. We are therefore taking the matter of protecting our environment seriously because we know that climate change is real. We are living with the evidence of its painful and destructive reality today. We also know that Somalia and the rest of the world cannot develop sustainably without jointly addressing the global climate crisis quickly and effectively, because our whole way of life and the most important job- creating productive sectors of our economy, including agriculture, livestock, fisheries and the wider blue economy, depend on the climate. Terrorists are making our word less safe by the day.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In the long term, we must collectively work together to ensure that we mitigate the acceleration of the dangerous and costly climate crisis by meeting the commitment to investing in and adequately financing climate adaptation in the most affected and vulnerable regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. Key areas of investment must be sustainable water management, biodiversity protection to enhance food security, climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure and greater investment in renewable energy. In Somalia, for the first time, we have established a new Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to lead the urgent process of addressing the devastating impact of our national and regional environmental deterioration. Somalia is caught between floods and droughts annually, owing to climate change and poor infrastructure.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In Somalia, we are working tirelessly to transition from over two decades of devastating conflict, drought, famine and development stagnation to a new age of stability, progress and prosperity. However, despite our continuing efforts, Somalia and its resilient people are facing some of the most complex and interconnected crises in the world. Those crises include ongoing regional drought, which is directly threatening the lives and livelihoods of Somalia’s most vulnerable communities. In fact, our Government has called on all its business community, diaspora and international partners on to work with us to do everything possible to avert the possible looming famine. We urge all our partners to heed our call and work with us to provide immediate support and relief to the most affected communities.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In fact, those complex and interconnected crises are the drivers of today’s unprecedented international humanitarian crises, food insecurity, rapid urbanization and the burdensome international cost of the livelihood crisis, which is pushing most of the world’s population into poverty. Indeed, we are at an unbearable juncture in human history, where citizens are looking to their respective Governments and the international multilateral system to provide meaningful policy responses that are anchored in transformative and sustainable solutions. Accordingly, we, as a community of nations, must be more optimistic and work even more closely together instead of retreating into nationalistic isolation, which cannot and will not serve our global citizenry in this new age of interconnectivity and interdependence.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In that regard, the Somali Federal Government is grateful to all the dedicated medical professionals on the front lines against COVID-19, as well as those bilateral and multilateral partners that have supported our national efforts to vaccinate our people and provide protection for their livelihoods through the difficult COVID-19 crisis. Today we must ensure that the global inequality of the COVID-19 vaccine is not replicated with the looming food security crisis. Our world is becoming less secure through recurring conflict, increasing international terrorism and the destructive impact of the climate change. I cannot prioritize between those three interlocking challenges, because they are equally dangerous and directly harmful to any progress we make, anywhere in the world, on achieving the vital Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has painfully illustrated how far apart the world is in terms of development and its ability to respond to such a huge crisis through the top-down distribution of the vaccines. Richer nations were able to invest in the distribution of life-saving vaccines more rapidly for their citizens, while developing countries like Somalia waited for whatever was available and whatever they could afford or were gifted by international partners. While vaccine inequality is symbolic of the existing development divide between the developed and the developing world, we, as a community of nations, understood that we can and must stand together to overcome even the greatest challenges if we have a strong global system of cooperation, collaboration and action.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Therefore, without transformative and urgent implementable solutions to those interlocking challenges of our time, the small window of opportunity we have to act together will pass, to the detriment of all our citizens and to the world. Our actions today will surely determine our fate and that of the generations to come. The burden on all of our shoulders is heavy and failure is not an option. Most of the world is still recovering from the devastating health and socioeconomic impact of the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic was unprecedented in its impact on the daily lives of all citizens across the world. It has changed the ways in which we live forever and clearly presented how unprepared the world is for such shocks and disruptions.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is a great honour and privilege to address the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session here in New York today. At this particularly challenging time in human history, I welcome the important theme of this session, which directs us all to jointly find transformative solutions to the various interlocking challenges that we face today. There is absolutely no doubt that we, as a community of nations, now collectively face the most challenging socioeconomic and environmental situation we have experienced in modern history. In fact, I can say with sadness that the situation is dire and potentially existential.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Our achievements and progress have been made possible by the determination of the Somali people. We welcome and acknowledge the strong support of our international partners and look forward to their continuing engagement behind our nationally led agenda. I acknowledge the commitment and the sacrifice of our Somali defence institutions and grieve the loss of our soldiers and security staff who died in pursuit of peace. I renew my commitment to serve the Somali people. Somalia is indebted to their resilience and perseverance in the face of extraordinary challenges. Somalis look forward to walking, together with the nations assembled here, towards a peaceful, prosperous future for the nation call Somalia. We are very much indebted to the family of the United Nations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In a way, this one man’s story echoes the national history that we are beginning to tell in Somalia today, namely, that our future will not be built on the ashes of revenge. It will not be built on the stones of violence. We reaffirm our choice of peace. We reaffirm that reconciliation, the path that we have chosen, will be won through dialogue, through inclusive politics, through creating a shared vision of what Somalia can be in the future. Our success requires the support of our international partners, but most of all it demands the ownership and the commitment of the Somali people, which we are assuring. As we continue towards democratization, now is not the time for scepticism. We have laid out our plans, and we need to stand together to execute and deliver.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“He would return to Somalia, undertake the training course, gain access to his family’s old village under a false pretext, and while there he would kill his father’s murderer. He therefore came home to Somalia, bought a weapon, underwent the training and went to the village. He made sure that his father’s murderer attended the training, while harbouring the destruction of his father’s enemy in his heart. But then, something started to happen. As he helped the villagers tell their stories of violence, of the endless cycle of horror, of the terrible choices they had had to make, his heart softened. He understood that any choice that involved violence was a not a choice at all. One day he stood up at the training centre, addressed his father’s murderer, explained that he had plotted to kill him and begged his forgiveness.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“One of our Somali non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is running a social reconciliation programme in some remote areas of Somalia. It consists of 12 weeks of intense facilitated discussions about truth, designed to disrupt the cycle of violence and create a safe space where people can tell their stories and, through that exercise, nurture understanding. A young man whose family had moved to another country when his father was murdered by another man from his village heard of the programme. He heard that the Somali NGO was training programme facilitators, people who would be able to move freely from one village to another and teach others the way of peace and reconciliation. Rather than as an opportunity to pursue peace, this young man, filled with anger at his father’s murder, saw it as the ideal way for him to exact revenge.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“As we enter the last third of the year, more than half a billion dollars is still required for life-saving activities. Over the past 18 months, Somalia has seen a significant amount of progress in its political, economic and development sectors. If the current humanitarian situation deteriorates into a crisis, all those gains will be undermined. We have come too far to allow that to happen. It is clear that, despite challenges, Somalia is moving forward on the path of integration, inclusivity and peace. We are leaving behind the disorder and discord spread by a distorted ideology. I was told a remarkable story recently, a true story that I think illustrates perfectly the power of reconciliation and the triumph of compassion over brutality.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Out of a population of 12.3 million in Somalia, more than 1 million people face acute food insecurity today and an equal number of people are internally displaced. Three months ago the humanitarian community and the Federal Government sounded the alarm about the impending crisis. Humanitarian response plans were prepared and launched. Swift action by the Federal Government to set up an interim interministerial committee and interventions with humanitarian partners and donors has mitigated the current crisis. However, a sustained and scaled-up response is required now to prevent a free fall. The humanitarian appeal for Somalia remains severely underfunded. Only 32 per cent of the requested $933 million has been received. This situation must be addressed urgently.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Somali National Army is a key element in defeating Al-Shabaab, and we are working with our international partners to ensure that we have a well-trained, well-equipped, integrated national army and other defence institutions in place, so that Somalia will one day be well able to defend its own peace and participate in international peace. However, it grieves me to report today that the humanitarian situation in Somalia is extremely critical. About 3.2 million Somalis need life-saving or livelihood assistance right now. A terrible mix of drought, rising food prices, increasing malnutrition and insecurity is plunging Somalia into a humanitarian crisis not dissimilar to the horrific famine of 2011.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Federal Government is committed to inclusivity and, while observing the principles of Somali-Somali dialogue, is taking concrete steps to engage all Somalis, including women and minority groups, in the political process of nation-building. We have seen great progress in connecting the Government to the Somali public, thanks to the improvement of service delivery, particularly in the area of education. In two years we have enrolled close to 100,000 students in public schools and appointed 2,000 teachers. We are investing in the strengthening of our Somali national forces.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Constitution Review and Implementation Commission was set up in May 2014 and started work on reviewing the current Provisional Constitution of Somalia. The approval and adoption of the Provisional Constitution is critical to an inclusive political settlement that paves the way for sustainable security and development in Somalia. In order to create a federal State, it will be essential to ensure the full participation of subfederal administrations in the political transformation of Somalia. The Boundaries and Federation Commission will be established and will devise the mechanisms for supporting the process of federating Somalia. The National Independent Electoral Commission will be endorsed by Parliament by the end of 2014.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is a tall order that cannot be overstated. The Federal Government has undertaken to revise our Provisional Constitution by 2016 and adopt it by means of a public referendum. We have undertaken to deliver a federal Somalia made up of member states. We have undertaken to deliver credible, national elections. We have not failed on the side of ambition, and we must not fail to deliver on our ambition. And we are delivering. Led by the Federal Government, together with existing and emerging regional stakeholders inside Somalia, we have made significant progress in the formation of interim regional administrations in the south-west and central regions of Somalia through dialogue and consultations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Solutions must be sought by applying the rule of law, pursuing human rights and affording access to justice. People must be allowed to determine their own future and to find their own place in that brilliant future. We must not forget the importance of political reconciliation and reform in maintaining long-term stability and creating an enabling environment for development gains. Two years ago, it quickly became clear that the formation of a unified and federal Somalia was the key to delivering peace and building sustainable security. The Vision 2016 framework was developed to encapsulate that important national goal. Vision 2016 outlines the framework for federalism through reconciliation, the adoption of a revised permanent constitution through a referendum and the path to democratic elections.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“As President of Somalia, I reaffirm our commitment to denying extremist ideology and its servants any hiding place in Somalia. Somalia’s strategic location makes it a gateway between the Arabian peninsula and the African continent. We cannot defeat Al-Shabaab only to allow other extremists, such as the militant group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, to find fertile ground. Although the security situation in Somalia is improving and Al-Shabaab is becoming a spent force, we cannot afford to rest until we achieve a final victory. We must strengthen Somalia and make it into a firewall, both for security purposes and ideologically. Somalia must be strengthened in order to prevent the African continent from being once again invaded by violent extremists who target innocent civilians, spreading their ideology of death.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“More than any other fragile State today, Somalia has significantly advanced in its fight against terrorism. We are winning the war, but we must also win the peace. President Obama spoke earlier this week of being at a crossroads of war and peace (see A/69/PV.5). As Somalis, we know better than any other nation the truth of that statement. We are at that juncture. That is why we know that solutions cannot be only military in nature. Yesterday we were reminded of the origins behind the establishment of the United Nations. We were reminded of the power of peaceful political reconciliation. Military intervention can end war, but it cannot propagate peace. Dialogue, reconciliation, forgiveness — those are the tools of peacebuilders, the tools of nation-builders.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Today, in September 2014, I am confidently able to say that, with the support of the Somali people and the engagement of the international community, Somalia has undergone a remarkable transformation. Today we have a country that is beginning to unite as a nation, behind a vision that in 2016 will see a federal and united Somalia, a Somalia that will meet our aspirations for a better future. But we cannot rest there. Somalia has always had an enormous capacity for playing a long game, and now more than ever we must stay our course. Somalia is at a critical juncture in its efforts to achieve security and stability. This past year has seen a rise in terrorist groups and activities around the world. Today, the reach of terrorists is not confined to one country; it is a global issue that requires global action.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Key legislation has been drafted, budget policy developed and the capacity of the offices of the Accountant General and Auditor General strengthened. An annual budget, developed with the implementation of Government-wide work plans and priorities in mind, has been delivered. A new governor and board of directors have been appointed for the Central Bank of Somalia, which we launched from scratch. A financial governance committee, constituting an advisory body held jointly by the Federal Government and international financial institutions, has been established to provide greater transparency and oversight of financial transactions in Somalia. We can take heart in the fact that distinct progress has been made in moving the country from failed- State status to that of a nascent nation with functioning institutions.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Over the past two years we have focused on building foundations and laying the groundwork for reform. We have developed legal frameworks, governance structures and public financial management reform processes. We have formalized Somalia’s presence in the international community, strengthened our relationships with neighbouring countries, restructured key institutions, established forums for dialogue, developed a path for political reform and put in place the architecture for linking international support to our priorities through the New Deal Somali Compact. We have made major progress in reforming public financial management, putting in place better accountability measures, controls and governance structures.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We faced the significant challenge of having to build frameworks and institutions while simultaneously delivering immediate, tangible benefits for our people, in the form of schools, hospitals, roads and more. We had to deliver on that long list of interrelated priorities while simultaneously dealing with a politically fragmented environment and fighting a war against terrorist groups. And we have succeeded. The foundation for the future has been laid through our clear military defeat of Al-Shabaab, which has been made possible only through the joint efforts of the Somali National Army and the African Union Mission to Somalia. More than 70 per cent of Somalia’s southern and central regions has now been liberated from the scourge of Al-Shabaab and restored to the control of the Federal Government of Somalia.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“September of 2012 marked a milestone for Somalia with the establishment of a new Federal Government built on national consensus and universally recognized by the international community. At its start, the Federal Government of Somalia faced multiple complex challenges, a stark lack of resources and only very basic institutional and Government structures. The country was divided, with no clear path to unification. Al-Shabaab and other militia groups controlled most of our territory. The task ahead of us was daunting and the expectations from both our people and our international partners were very high. Everything was a priority, from security to political inclusivity, and from health care and education to private-sector development and basic economic reform.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I fear that many people’s experience of Somalia is confined to films — such as the recent Captain Phillips and re-runs of Black Hawk Down — or YouTube scenes of the horrific Westgate Mall incident in Kenya, or an ever-growing number of titles on library bookshelves that include the words “failed State”, or references to a long war. But if we shrink our perspective to just that glimpse, we miss the beauty of the very different picture that we are painting right now in Somalia. The Somalia I lead as President is a very different country. My Somalia is not a 15-second summary of problems. It is not a Somalia of failure. We may still be fragile, but we are no longer a broken State.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is a pleasure to join the Assembly today. Yesterday a journalist asked me to describe Somalia in 15 seconds. First, let me say that Somalis are great storytellers, so asking a Somali to say anything in 15 seconds is very difficult. I really had to think about where to begin. I told him that if he could think of a problem, then Somalia has it, and often at the same time as other problems — war, piracy, extremist terrorist groups, famine, droughts, floods. But that was the Somalia of yesterday, not the Somalia of today.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I would like to conclude by thanking the General Assembly and paying tribute to the dedicated support of its members. Together we can make Somalia strong again. We have planted the seeds of a new Somalia. We wish to see it grow into a tree standing tall in the African bush, with deep roots binding it securely to its region and offering shade and protection to its people as they rebuild their lives.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The international community must assume its responsibility and send a powerful massage to those who are responsible for the continued conflict in Syria. We must continue to encourage all sides in Syria and their international allies to realize that the only way out of the tragedy is dialogue and negotiation. Before I conclude, let me reiterate that impunity has no place in the world, but selective justice and targeted trials are against the principles of peace, justice and reconciliation. Regrettably, the trials of African leaders at the International Criminal Court have become politically motivated, in contravention of agreed objectives and principles. As a result, the wounds of conflict remain unhealed and the national unity and cohesion of many African countries is jeopardized.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“War is something we Somalis have experienced too much of in recent years, and we feel particular sadness when we look at Syria and see our brothers embarking on a civil war that will only bring the ruin of the country. It is much easier to start a war than to end one. After two years, the conflict in Syria is already entrenched. Hatred has taken hold of the hearts of too many men and women, while a new generation of children has to endure a childhood full of suffering, with no education. As a Somali who has lived through the world’s longest, most devastating civil war, I can speak with bitter experience of the legacies of war. We must not allow the use of chemical weapons against human beings in war or otherwise, let alone against children, women and vulnerable people.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We welcome the new United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), with which we are now working to bring peace and stability to the country. UNSOM is doing a great job, and we look forward to addressing all outstanding issues together. UNSOM has shown a commitment to bringing its offices back to Somalia. Tragically, the extremists, who are terrified of progress, were able to kill innocent people in an attack against the United Nations compound in Mogadishu. I offer my sincere condolences to the United Nations and the families of the victims. The United Nations has reacted mindfully and reiterated its support for Somalia. I thank the Organization for that courage and commitment.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The progress that has been made in Somalia on those critical issues over the past years would not have been possible without the courageous support of the member countries of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union through its troop- contributing countries, and the ultimate sacrifice made by many brave African soldiers. We pay tribute to them, and we owe it to their memory to ensure that we do not take a single step backwards. I would equally like to thank the European Union for its leadership in organizing the recent conference in Brussels. I would also like to thank the Member States that not only made the commitment to take part in the meeting, but also showed great generosity in making pledges to help the development and reconstruction of Somalia. We hope that others will do as they have done.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We are announcing the Vision 2016 initiative, which is a concerted effort under my leadership to complete the Constitution, organize the federal system and prepare the ground for elections in 2016. We will need direction, determination, discipline and human and financial resources if we are to succeed as we roll out the concrete objectives and benchmarks set forth in the initiative. Finally, people may ask why Somalia matters at this time, but there is a huge amount at stake right now — the future of our country, the security of the region and the wider world, in the light, in particular, of the war against Al-Qaida in Somalia and the removal of the piracy stranglehold on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, which are indeed challenges that we share with the world.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“These challenges were clearly articulated by the participants at the Vision 2016 Conference convened on 2 September in Mogadishu, where some of the best minds in the country and from Somali communities living abroad came together to offer their remarkable experience, insights and expertise in charting the way forward for the future of Somalia. At another major gathering just last week in Mogadishu, respected Somali religious leaders and elders from across the country announced their determination to have a future free from the intolerance and extremism that have taken root in recent years. We are committed to ensuring that, in the course of the daily struggle to rebuild our country, we do not lose sight of the longer-term challenges ahead.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“With the good offices of the Government of Turkey, we have continued our dialogue with the authorities in Somaliland, underscoring our determination to preserve the unity of the country, not by force and coercion, but through dialogue, mutual respect and understanding. Somali unity must be more than a rhetorical device; it must preserve and promote the dignity, equality and legitimate aspirations of all Somali citizens. By adhering to such principles, we are confident that our dialogue with Somaliland will not only continue, but will eventually bear fruit. Those are major milestones, but enormous challenges still lie ahead.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“On 27 August, we signed an accord that establishes an interim Juba Administration, which also aspires to become a federal member state in accordance with the Constitution. The agreement, achieved after long months of painstaking negotiations, demonstrates what can be achieved through the combination of Somali political leadership and the steadfast support of our close neighbours. We have begun similar processes elsewhere in Somalia, establishing interim administrations in the remaining regions to pursue the twin goals of peacebuilding and State-building across many regions in Somalia. Members of Parliament have also played a key role in all of those processes, working with their constituencies and serving as a critical channel of communication between the people of their constituencies and the federal Government.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We must complete the establishment of our federal system and advance the process of democratization through the development of a multiparty electoral system. Accordingly, our Parliament has already passed legislation establishing an independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission, as required by the provisional Constitution. We must move quickly to put in place other critical statutory bodies, including a boundaries and federation commission and a national independent electoral commission, the tasks of which will be to guide our thinking and inform our actions and decisions in order to complete Somalia’s journey to unity, stability and democracy. In March, my Government signed an agreement with the authorities in Puntland, framing our shared commitment to implementing a federal system of governance, as agreed.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Under its auspices, we are planning to enrol 100,000 students in the schools in the current academic year, and 1 million students will eventually be in school within the coming three years. That is not without challenges, but we commit ourselves and we will prevail. On the other hand, I would like to present to the Assembly the political progress that we are making in Somalia. We believe that a political solution is the first step in building a stable governance framework in our country. We have begun to lay the foundations for the return of effective, stable and representative governance in Somalia, the cornerstone of lasting peace. To that end, Somalia should possess a full- fledged constitution reflecting a broad national consensus on how we wish to govern ourselves.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)