It is indeed an honour for
me to extend to Mr. Kerim the sincere congratulations
of the Government of Somalia upon his election to the
presidency of the General Assembly. His tenure comes
at a crucial period for the international community as
tensions and instability have surfaced and the United
Nations has also embarked on a series of world-
changing reforms. My delegation is confident that he
will rise to the challenges and steer this body
competently during the sixty-second session.
Fitting tribute is also due to his predecessor,
Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, for her sterling
guidance and exemplary way of steering the
proceedings of the sixty-first session of the General
Assembly during some of the most trying times for the
United Nations.
Permit me also to express on behalf of the
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia my
sincere felicitations to the new Secretary-General, Mr.
Ban Ki-moon, who has had a distinguished career in
international diplomacy and who brings that extensive
experience to the United Nations. Those skills will be
crucial in his new assignment. We are confident that he
will be a beacon of hope in keeping the United Nations
ideal alive during the years ahead.
May I also take this opportunity to congratulate
Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro on her appointment to the High
Office of Deputy Secretary-General.
The President returned to the Chair.
One of the major principles of the United Nations
Charter is to maintain peace and security, and to that
end to take effective measures for the prevention and
removal of breaches to world peace and security. It is
in that conviction that I appear before this body to
underscore the concerns of the Federal Government of
Somalia on political and security matters related to the
roles that should be assumed by the international
community.
Regrettably, we feel that our major efforts in
nation-building and State-institution development have
met with an unreceptive response and reticence of an
inexplicable nature. Collective action by this world
body has been more consistent and vigorous, until very
recently, in coming to the rescue of nations in dire need
of help. A case in point concerning that
incomprehensible attitude is the long-delayed adoption
of a resolution on the timely deployment of a
peacekeeping mission in Somalia. If that stand
continues, it will reveal only a lack of commitment and
indirect acquiescence to prolonging the agony of the
Somali people. We call upon the United Nations to
come out without delay in support of the deployment
of the multinational forces.
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
has diligently embarked on implementing the tasks
mandated by our Charter before the end of the
transitional period in 2009. Those include, among other
things, securing democratic transformation, putting in
place permanent constitutional legality, establishing a
multi-party democratic society, and setting up regional
autonomous administrations. The federal institutions in
charge of that arduous task are working hard to provide
the nation with a federal constitution that upholds those
fundamental obligations, thus signalling a new era of
tranquillity for the Somali people.
The efforts of the Federal Government
culminated in the convening of a peace and national
reconciliation conference in Somalia this year,
indicating that national consciousness is regenerating
within our society and a self-healing process has
begun.
Despite disruptive intimidations by terrorist
elements that tried to hijack the proceedings, the
conference came to a successful conclusion.
Representatives of all walks of life in the Somali
community attended the conference and dealt with
issues of concern in every aspect. In that regard, we
pay special tribute to the helping hand of the Ethiopian
forces and the Uganda-led African Union Mission in
Somalia, which effectively dealt with the terrorists,
who are gradually fading away.
Here, I wish to underscore that peace, security
and the well-being and prosperity of individuals and
nations alike are at stake in the fight against terrorism.
It is our view that the only viable response to terrorism
is a collective response of all nations, and it is for that
reason that the United Nations system has a pivotal
role to play and vital contributions to make in many
aspects of counter-terrorism, from promoting the rule
of law and effective criminal justice systems to
ensuring that countries have the means to counter
terrorism. No other institution has the means to unify
nations in the fight against that evil, and there is no
better venue for nations to forge their protective
measures.
Our efforts aimed at nation-building, restoring
peace and stability, conflict resolution, reconstruction
and rehabilitation cannot have the expected impact
unless the required funding resources and the needed
equipment and supplies are made available as the days
of institutional disharmony are replaced by an immense
aspiration to rebuild the country. We therefore reiterate
our repeated calls for a pledging conference, and
appeal to the donor community to show serious
commitment to organizing and convening an
international donor conference, in coordination with
the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.
Another area that cries out for speedy action is
the humanitarian needs in Somalia. As members are all
aware, the protracted civil war and persistent
fragmented conflicts over the past two decades have
been exacerbated by natural disasters that have not
only devastated public and private institutions, but
have also torn the socio-economic fabric of society and
contributed to grave humanitarian crises. We appeal to
the world community to make generous contributions
and to work closely with the Somali authorities to
ensure that humanitarian access is provided to the most
vulnerable populations. Meeting those humanitarian
needs will ultimately provide a strong foundation from
which recovery, reconstruction and development can
emerge in the future.
This historical moment requires bold initiatives
on the part of the President of the General Assembly,
who, in tandem with the Secretary-General, is called
upon to provide the vision and strength of conviction
necessary to carry the United Nations forward to face
the myriad challenges to the Organization. We are
confident that, by working together closely, we can and
shall meet the challenges ahead.