United Nations S/ PV.7905 Security Council Provisional Seventy-second year 7905th meeting Thursday, 23 March 2017, 10.10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Johnson/Mr. Rycroft .......................... (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Members: Bolivia (Plurinational State of) ..................... Mr. Llorentty Solíz China ......................................... Mr. Liu Jieyi Egypt ......................................... Mr. Aboulatta Ethiopia ....................................... Ms. Zemene France ........................................ Mr. Delattre Italy .......................................... Mr. Amendola Japan ......................................... Mr. Bessho Kazakhstan .................................... Mr. Ali Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Iliichev Senegal ....................................... Mr. Baba Cissé Sweden ....................................... Ms. Wallström Ukraine ....................................... Mr. Prystaiko United States of America .......................... Ms. Sison Uruguay ....................................... Mr. Bermúdez Agenda The situation in Somalia This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 17-07641 (E) *1707641* S/PV.7905 The situation in Somalia 23/03/2017 The meeting was called to order at 10.10 a.m. Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Uruguay Adoption of the agenda The President: The draft resolution received The agenda was adopted. 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2346 (2017). The situation in Somalia I now give the floor to Mr. Keating. The President: I want to warmly welcome the Mr. Keating: As the Secretary-General said on Ministers and other representatives to the Security his first field visit since he took office, Somalia is Council Chamber. Their presence today underscores experiencing a moment of both tragedy and hope. the importance of the subject under discussion. Tragedy, because a drought-induced humanitarian crisis In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s is now engulfing the country, with the imminent risk of provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative famine. Hope, because the recent electoral process has of Somalia to participate in this meeting. created the momentum for fresh political engagement among Somalis. The announcement 48 hours ago of On behalf of the Council, I welcome His Excellency the establishment of the Cabinet, which includes six Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, President women, is another important step forward. of the Federal Republic of Somalia, who is joining today’s meeting via video-teleconference from Nairobi. More than 6 million Somalis — half the total population — are now in need of assistance. Nearly In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s 3 million, mainly women and children, require provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following immediate lifesaving support, and they include growing briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Michael numbers of displaced people living in miserable Keating, Special Representative of the Secretary- conditions. Somalis, including politicians, business General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations people, civil society and members of the diaspora, Assistance Mission in Somalia; and Mr. Francisco are taking responsibility for drought response. That Caetano José Madeira, Special Representative of the distinguishes Somalia from other countries facing Chairperson of the African Union Commission for humanitarian catastrophe. President Farmajo declared Somalia and Head of the African Union Mission in a national disaster within days of taking office. He is Somalia. using all available platforms to mobilize national and international support. Access remains a challenge, On behalf of the Council, I welcome Mr. Madeira, including in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab. But who is joining the meeting via video-teleconference compared to 2011, when 260,000 people died, the from Mogadishu. scope for responding to the crisis is greater. Cell-phone The Security Council will now begin its consideration coverage and money-transfer options have expanded; of the item on its agenda. data on needs and assessment has improved; controls on resources and partner-vetting are stronger; and Members of the Council have before them document operational capacities have grown. S/2017/226, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Humanitarian partners are scaling up the response Northern Ireland. in various ways, including through the private sector and with cash programming in affected areas. More The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the people are now being reached with food aid, nutritional draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution support, health-care services and access to safe water. to the vote now. But much more is needed. The most urgent challenges A vote was taken by show of hands. include funding for immediate lifesaving action, in particular for the cholera response, which has now In favour: affected 11 of Somalia’s 18 regions. Treatment centres Bolivia (Plurinational State of), China, Egypt, and units are being opened throughout the country, but Ethiopia, France, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russian the disease continues to spread. A rapid expansion of Federation, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine, United treatment and preventive measures is urgently needed 2/24 17-07641 23/03/2017 The situation in Somalia S/PV.7905 before the rains, which will only exacerbate the so vulnerable. For a functional and truly sovereign problem further. Federal Somalia must find ways to rely less on foreign funds and more on its own resources. Unless Somalia The famine-prevention operational plan is seeking can start attracting serious investment and generate $825 million in order to reach 5.5 million people by June. domestic revenues, State-building will remain only The plan is currently 32 per cent funded. Funding and an aspiration, and the country will remain perilously cash-flow constraints prevented a significant increase dependent and vulnerable to weather-related shocks. in response activities at the beginning of the year, and That will require not only greater institutional capacity more resources will be needed by the end of March if but also a settlement between the Government and the we are to enable the partners to reach those affected before it is too late. I welcome the recent generous private sector. Taxes should be collected by the State, in contributions made by many countries in response to return for assurances that funds will be accounted for the calls from the Somali Government and the United and used to provide basic services, including security Nations for assistance, including a very generous one and the rule of law. from your Government, Mr. President. The President and Prime Minister have committed to Had the electoral process not delivered a result making improvements in public financial management, accepted as legitimate, drought-response efforts would transparency and accountability, including vigorous be much more difficult. Instead, the electoral process steps to fight corruption, which they see as drivers of has created a sense of hope. The new Parliament is more insecurity. Those tasks will not be easy. They deserve diverse, and its membership is younger and includes our support, including incentives for the private sector. more women than any before it. The elections were Support is needed to clear Somalia’s arrears and allow largely peaceful and were not derailed by Al-Shabaab. it to move along a path towards debt relief. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and A more immediate challenge is to eliminate the Somali security and intelligence forces did a great job scourge of terrorism. The cost is just too high, both in of protecting electoral sites. The presidential election terms of human life and lost opportunities for Somalia, was conducted transparently. The former President, but also for its neighbours and the international Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, deserves credit for a community, including countries that are serving on smooth and peaceful handover. the Council. Success in degrading and dismantling The elation that greeted President Farmajo on Al-Shabaab requires a multi-pronged approach, 8 February transcended clan and regional lines. The embedded in a political strategy led by the Somali outcome of the process has generated widespread Government. That approach will need to embrace support goodwill. As Prime Minister Dessalegn of Ethiopia for AMISOM’s operations, Somalian security-sector said, reform, a resolution of local conflicts, the stabilization and expansion of State authority in liberated areas, and Somalis have made history and set a great example it should address the deficits in governance and the rule to countries ... emerging from conflict”. of law that give Al-Shabaab