Somalia

Your Excellency Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, Your Excellencies, heads of state and governments, Ladies and gentleman,

It is a great honour and privilege to address the 80th UN General Assembly today at a time when our world is at a critical juncture. The UN was founded on the principles of advancing peace, security, development and progress globally after the destruction of the Second World War.

The UN is the embodiment of our common aspiration for a global governance anchored in international law, fairness and equality.

80 years on since the first UN General Assembly, we should have already been "Better Together" not seeking to justify why we can be better together, today.

Global challenges

Across the world, people, and indeed, humanity as a whole, is challenged with existential obstacles and threats that we can resolve through dialogue, cooperation, unity and shared purpose. Yet, instead of seeking to strengthen existing and future partnerships and enhancing social solidarity to achieve this, we are in a world of adverse competition and increasing governance uncertainty.

Where we once strived to ask "What is Right" under international law, today we are witnessing the unapologetic rise of national MIGHT to settle disputes. This is a truly dark and dangerous path that threatens the hard-won rules-based international order we collectively agreed on as UN member states.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,

While we should be focussed strategically on accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no one behind by 2030, the number of fragile states and populations living in poverty is increasing globally. Over 30 member states of the UN today, including my country, Somalia, are classified as Fragile and Conflict-affected because of both conflict and social and institutional fragility. When you add the vulnerabilities stemming from climate change, this number is frighteningly higher.

In addition to this, urbanisation is rising at the fastest rate in human history because of conflict, climate and lack of economic opportunities in rural communities. Furthermore, food insecurity remains a persistent deadly challenge affecting billions. According to the World Food Program, "319 million people are facing acute hunger in 67 countries" today.

These stark and startling facts must give us all pause for reflection and thought. If we, as a community of nations, are serious about achieving common progress and prosperity for all as envisioned in the Sustainable Development Goals, we must re-double efforts to strengthen multilateralism, solidarity and shared action for all our people and planet.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,

Somalia, as a proud Non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, is working tirelessly to promote the ideals and values of peace, stability and shared opportunities across the world. We are actively working with all Security Council members and the wider UN Membership to find solutions for peace in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is imperative that we address an undeniable injustice in our multilateral system. Africa, a continent of 54 sovereign nations, remains the only continent without permanent seats at the UN Security Council. This is unsustainable. Some of the most pressing issues that dominate the Council's agenda directly concern Africa, yet Africa has no permanent representation at the table. Excluding Africa from permanent membership is unfair, outdated, and can no longer be justified. True multilateralism and global legitimacy demand that Africa be fully included in the decision-making structures of the United Nations.

Somalia remains deeply concerned by the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. The ongoing violence, displacement, and deprivation faced in the occupied territories including Gaza demand our collective conscience and urgent action. We call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, and renewed commitment towards the two-State solution as the only viable path for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Somalia: Security

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,

Somalia's unique story of decisively transitioning from conflict to a brighter socio-economic and political and security future starting from 2012, is the story of real national effort supported by truly committed international partners, many of whom are represented in this room today.

In fact, Somalia is evidence that multilateralism and global solidarity can make the world a better, safer and progressive place. This lived experience is our own government's inspiration for determinedly working for a more just, peaceful and progressive world within the UN Security Council during our membership because we know that we are truly "better together" when we all work in unison.

At home, we are bravely fighting the last remaining pockets of international terrorism while building a strong and sustainable national security architecture. We are working closely with all our valuable international partners in defeating the violent extremism ideology, falsehoods and illicit financial systems that facilitate global terrorism. As a result of our efforts in Somalia, our people and citizens across the world are safer today.

Of course, while we remain grateful for all the international support to combat terrorism, I strongly commend the unwavering commitment and courage of the Somali security forces and local community defence forces for their sacrifices, resilience and success against Al-Shabaab and ISIS. This will continue until we achieve complete victory and harmony in our country, region, continent and the wider world. We must never give in to cowardly terrorists.

Governance and politics

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,

Our government has embarked on a historic journey to undertake universal suffrage elections in Somalia for the first time in 57 years. Somalia was Africa's first democratic nation and we are proudly returning to this path of inclusive governance once again. Today, our national election registration process is ongoing and more than 30 independent Political Associations have registered to participate in the upcoming elections. Our national experience is that nothing is better than a people-centred and people-led nation guided by the rule of law to build a unified and prosperous nation.

Financing development

The sustainable development goals are the blueprint for achieving dignity, justice and equality through real investment in human capital, job creation and social protection for the most vulnerable in all our communities. However, it was very clear from the fourth Financing for Development Conference in Seville earlier this year that the financing gap between our ambitions and the reality is very far apart.

Today, developing nations are facing the triple shock of high debt burdens, higher cost of sovereign borrowing and expenditure on recurrent shocks which is impossible to budget for annually. The traditional economic model of forecasting predictable expenditure supported by clear revenue streams is no longer this simple.

Governments of developing nations are also now subjected to real-time investment cuts in core developmental activities, including health, education and basic infrastructure. This is because of realignment of the already dwindling development assistance they used to receive from developed nations. This is not sustainable if we as a community of nations are to achieve collective developmental progress together.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,

In Somalia, we are taking responsibility for our own economic development by building on the success of our recent reform-based debt relief. Today, we are focused on mitigating the excruciating cost of public service investment by continuously raising domestic revenue, strengthening public financial management systems and enforcing strict expenditure controls while enhancing transparency and accountability.

Furthermore, we are committed to benefitting from our strategic location and natural resources through trade with our region and the world. In line with the support of this ambition, Somalia has joined the East Africa Community, is ratifying the African Continental Free Trade Area policies, and our World Trade Organisation process is going well.

Climate emergency

We are resolute in our commitment to combat the devastating effects of climate change on the most vulnerable communities, especially those who are unable to mitigate and adapt effectively.

Climate change is wreaking havoc across the world with the most vulnerable countries suffering systemic and repetitive meteorological and socio-economic shocks. This is devastating economies, destroying livelihoods and diverting limited public resources towards mitigation and adaptation responses which take away from other vital social investments like education and health.

The impact of climate change is forcing governments in developing countries, including my own, to make impossible financial trade-offs which hamper our own aspirations for investing in resilience and development. Around 10% of developing nations' budgets are diverted to responding to climate change.

This needs to be addressed urgently through the developed industrialised nations by meeting their financial obligations for the climate crisis they continue to exacerbate.

Less than 3% of the global climate finance reaches the African continent despite Africa emitting the least and suffering a disproportionate and disastrous impact. This is unacceptable.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The resilient Somali people live with the climate crisis every day. For us, climate change is not abstract, it is a horrible reality of disrupted and destroyed lives.

Somalia contributes almost nothing to global emissions, yet we endure some of the harshest consequences. Droughts, floods, and rising seas erode livelihoods and displace families, threatening to undo the progress we are making towards peace and development.

As a government, we understand that addressing the adverse impact of climate change is a Global Public Good that requires strong partnerships and genuine burden sharing.

On our part, Somalia has adopted a National Climate Change Policy, updated our Nationally Determined Contribution, and is preparing its first Biennial Transparency Report. We are also developing a robust national climate finance strategy to guide how we mobilize and manage resources.

To ensure these resources are used effectively, we have established the National Climate Fund, a dedicated institution to channel climate finance transparently and directly to communities. On the ground, we are restoring degraded lands, strengthening water security, and piloting nature-based solutions that protect both people and ecosystems.

Despite our efforts, accessing climate finance remains too slow and complex. As our government strengthens its domestic revenue capacity and initiates the processes for pre-arranged disaster risk financing, we call for financial support that is accessible, affordable, predictable, and just from international financial institutions and the capital markets. Nations on the frontlines like Somalia cannot be left to face this crisis alone, unsupported by the dominant Global Financial Architecture which is not fit for purpose in this age of great challenge.

Conclusion

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, the 80th anniversary of the UN General Assembly is the best possible opportunity to take stock of our global achievements as far as our common commitments to sustainable development are concerned.

We quietly transitioned from the Millennium Development Goals to now the Sustainable Development Goals. Now, I wonder, with the clock rapidly ticking very fast towards 2030, what the next acronyms for our global development aspirations will be.

For us, being better together means common ownership, common responsibility and genuine burden-sharing on the global achievement of sustainable development through investment in a resilient and fair future for all.

I thank you,