Madam President,
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary
General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with
great pleasure that I participate in this historic millennium summit which has brought
together the largest number of heads of states and governments. The participants in this
August meeting are to make critical choices in the unfolding human drama.
On behalf of the
Somali Republic, I would like to express a well- deserved appreciation to the
distinguished Secretary-General for spearheading effectively the holding of this meeting
and for preparing his comprehensive report on the state of humanity and on the emerging
global challenges. The challenges are truly global and only through collective
deliberations and decisions can we cope with the complexities of the new century.
The role of the
United Nations has been important Mi
the past
fifty five years. Its role in the new era of the sobering interdependence is bound to be
central. Somalia pledges to associate itself with those who are committed to a renewed,
energized United Nations which articulates and affirms a vision of global governance based
on participation and accountability.
The United Nations
itself has to be a symbol of good governance. The deliberations and decision-making
processes of the United Nations have to be made accessible to the world-wide civil society
whose views, opinions and expertise are to be channelled through established and
maintained new pathways. People centered strategies are needed in solving human society's
profound interrelated problems of peace and security, sustainable development human rights,
environment and globalization. The democratization of the United Nations and the enhancing
of its effectiveness are requisites for a renewed and energized U.N.
Madam President /
Mr.President,
It is gratifying for
me to bring back Somalia to the United Nations. It has taken us ten long years to bury the
hatchet and to start healing our self-inflicted wounds. When my brother, Ismail Omar
Gulleh, the President of Djibouti, submitted his Somali Peace Initiative during last
year's General Assembly, it was received with complete scepticism. Many other initiatives
have foundered on the intransigence of warlords and their
inability to rise above their gamesmanship and zero sum orientation. Despite the
misgivings of those more familiar with our case, President Ismail persevered with his
peace initiative. Segments of the Somali Civil Society be they traditional elders,
businessmen, and intellectuals were brought together to Arta, Djibouti. Over 2500
individuals stayed together for more than four months in Arta to examine the causes of the
Somali conflict, to assess the effects of its damage and to explore a way out of the
tragedy. There were days of gloom when peace and national reconciliation appeared to be
beyond the reach of the participants. The good will and generosity of the people of
Djibouti, their resourceful government and the tenacity of President Ismail have kept
Somali hopes alive and have succeeded in precluding the failure of the Peace Initiative.
President Ismail and his
dedicated officials were competent facilitators and caring compatriots, but ultimately it
was the Somali civil society which found in itself a reservoir of wisdom and the
willingness to forgive. Traditional Somali methods of peace making and bridge-building
were instrumental in leading to the selection of some 650 individuals as the official
delegates. The delegates assigned the responsibility of drafting a national charter to a
small group. A national Charter which enshrines the rule of law, decentralized democratic
self-governance, human rights, the recognition of the rights of women and minority groups,
and a market-led economy was passed by the Assembly of the delegates. The next step was
the selection of the 245-member Parliament. After protracted negotiations the segments of
the Somali civil society surprised themselves in selecting their representatives to the
Parliament. The members of the Parliament quickly elected the Speaker, Deputy speakers and
other officers of the house. The Parliament discharged its responsibility of electing the
President of the Republic with unexpected maturity and dispatch. In a word, the election
of the President was free, fair and very transparent.
As the President
elect, I took a large delegation of over 90 members of Parliament and other prominent
citizens to Mogadishu and Baidoa. The reception , despite the misgivings of many, was
over-whelmingly positive.
One of my
constitutional responsibilities is to appoint a Prime Minister, who will in turn form a
national government fairly soon. With the formation of the national government Somalia
will be finally on its feet and will take its rightful place in all international fora.
What is remaining for us inside the country is to bring aboard those who did not
participate in the Arta Peace and National Reconciliation Conference. We would like to
rely on our proven methods of openness, goodwill and ongoing dialogue to resolve all
outstanding political issues. The Somali people, however, have spoken and their principled
position is to have a representative government of national unity, regional autonomy,
equitable access to national resources5 rule of law and human rights.
Madam President /Mr.
President, a democratic Somalia, which is at peace with itself and its neighbours will be
a strong and productive member of the United Nations. Somalia's association with the UN
has been significant though troubled in recent years. [As a former colony of Italy, the
southern part of Somalia became a Trusteeship and therefore supervised by the United
Natiosn during the decolonization. period. After independence the United Nations was very
generous in its support of the country . The institutional support of the United Nations
for the new Somali State was particularly significang The collapse of the Somali State and
the ensuing civil strife have created serious difficulties for the presence of the United
Nations in Somalia. The generous attempts of the United Nations to respond to the
hunianitarian disaster in the country have unfortunately led to the loss of life of UN
staff. We regret deeply the loss of life of the UN personnel and on behalf of the Somali
Government and people I would like to extend my condolences to the families of those who
lost loved ones in the line of duty in Somalia.
A Somali government which
is the off-spring of the efforts of the Somali civil society is bound to be responsive to
the demands of the renewed, democratized and energized UN. The new Somalia and its Third
Republic are wining to re-dedicate themselves to an international legal framework which
values the rights of the child, is committed to the elimination of all forms of
discrimination against women and is ready to pledge full support for the effective
institutionalization of the International Criminal Court in Rome. Segments of the Somali
Civil society and the Somali State actors are willing to be part of the global policy
networks which are in a position to address global policy issues of poverty, debt relief,
conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, environment and sustainable development. A
renewed, energized and democratized United Nations will take the lead in the eradication
of poverty, in ushering in freedom from fear and in facing confidently the challenges of
globalization.
Madam President/Mr.
President, thank you for affording me the opportunity to address this historic Summit.
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