Statement by Ambassador Koro Bessho
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the Briefing of the Security Council on Somalia
23 March 2017
Mr. President,
Before I touch on the issue of Somalia, Japan strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack that took place in London yesterday. On behalf of the Japanese government, I express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims and our solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom. I wish a swift and full recovery to those who were injured.
Mr. President,
I thank you and the United Kingdom for convening this timely briefing. I thank the briefers for their informative update on the situation in Somalia. I also extend my deep appreciation to President Farmajo for his robust commitment to achieving peace and stability in the country.
Progress to peace and stability in Somalia has been unfortunately fragile so far. Many challenges lie ahead, such as formulating a national security framework, building capacity for a representative Somali National Army, combating Al-Shabaab, agreeing on federal-state resource and revenue sharing mechanisms, and facilitating universal suffrage in 2020. Robust and sustained international assistance is critical, and Somali ownership is indispensable. Japan praises President Farmajo’s active leadership in tackling these problems and we promise to extend our full support to his endeavors.
Mr. President,
The ongoing famine threatens the progress in state-building since the establishment of the government in 2012. As the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked during his visit to Somalia, tackling the risk of famine helps address the root causes of terrorism.
Recognizing the very serious famine situation, Japan decided last week to extend additional 26 million US dollars in emergency humanitarian assistance in response to the call by the Secretary-General, with 8.5 million US dollars directed to Somalia. This is in addition to Japan’s assistance to Somalia in the amount of more than 22 million US dollars decided in January of this year.
Mr. President,
Improvement of the security situation in all corners of Somalia is the top priority. AMISOM’s role is key in combating extremism, including Al-Shabaab. In order to avoid security gaps as AMISOM draws down next year, reinforcement of the capabilities of the Somali National Army must be conducted in an urgent and coordinated manner.
While international donors have mobilized abundant resources over the years, there has been insufficient progress in building a representative and effective Somali National Army. Among the reasons are minimal integration of clan-based militias and a lack of coordination amongst donor communities.
We welcome the initiative by the United Kingdom to host the London Conference for Somalia in May, and commend President Farmajo and UNSG to co-host the conference. This will be a perfect opportunity to address these problems and use limited international resources in a more coordinated manner. In particular, we hope this meeting will provide momentum for agreement among political leaders from each state on the national security framework, with a clear demarcation of responsibilities between the federal government and states.
Improvements in the country’s long-term security also depend on strengthening the capacity of the Somali police forces, including via salary support, as well as institution building and the provision of basic social services. Japan has contributed more than 400 million US dollars since 2007 in these areas and will continue to support government efforts.
Mr. President,
Macro-economic improvements are critically important for achieving sustained peace and prosperity. Japan has long prioritized this area, and welcomes the successful conclusion of the regular consultation by the IMF last month. Sustained efforts in implementing measures to improve the fiscal framework, raise tax revenue, and conduct structural reforms are key. Japan hopes the political leaders demonstrate strong leadership and cooperation on resources and revenue sharing mechanisms that will serve as the backbone to the Somali economy.
Lastly, the first reported hijacking in five years of a large commercial vessel off the coast of Somalia reminded us of the need for continued international counter-piracy efforts in the region. Japan will continue its warning and surveillance activities and escort operations while also supporting social services and economic development in the coastal regions, in close cooperation, of course, with the Somali government and the international community.
Thank you, Mr. President.
