Your Excellences and Ambassadors, Honorable ministers, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman, I would like to thank you all for traveling to hargeisa. I would like to mention, in particular, the UN Resident Coordination’s Office and the Danish and UK governments for working with us to facilitate this meeting. I would like to warmly welcome Mr. Mahboob Ma’alim, the Executive secretary for IGAD.
On behalf of the Somaliland government and people, I would like to express our gratitude to the development partners that sit before us here tiday, as well as those who were unable to share this occasion with us, for their generous assistance to Somaliland over all these years.
Today we come together to report on the progress we have jointly made on meeting targets set out in the Somaliland special Arrangement in September 2013, and to discuss the way forward. it is pertinent that we evaluate our performance against our plans, a practice that is in line with the principles of aid effectiveness.
Somaliland has enjoyed over two decades of successful peace consolidation, democratization and institution-building. These foundations have created an environment where programmers can be implemented successfully and effectively, with government institutions and experienced civil society groups.
you will hear later today about the details of the government budget. we now have USD 18 Million set aside in the 2015 budget for infrastructure and equipment. this shows that our joint efforts
The international community and the Somaliland people have a long tradition of working successfully together on across all the sectors.
what the Somaliland special Arrangement has done is strengthen the way we work together with the government in the lead, and in a stronger spirit of partnership and coordination.
The Somaliland Development fund, the government’s preferred financing mechanism for the Somaliland Special Arrangement, is an innovative fund taht is being watched globally. we are committed to making this a success story, and put Somaliland in the global spotlight.
We are all aware, that the Somaliland Special Arrangement is a separate and distinct document which was endorsed by the international community in Brussels last year. The High Level Aid Coordination Forum, is Somaliland’s Platform for dialogue and monitoring. Hence, financing arrangement should be equally separate.
Our dear friends from the Uk, Denmark established the Somaliland Development fund, Norway and Netherlands have since joined and now the EU is about to join the fund. One year on, the capacity of the state. Important Projects include lafaruk – Berbera road rehabilitation which has just started. I would like to invite other mechanisms that model the Somaliland Development fund, which is practically the New Deal in Action.
I have received an invitation from the President of Somalia to attend the High Level Partners forum in Coordination later this month. I would like to wish our neighbours well. This is a forum for Somalia, Not for Somaliland. Somaliland is a separate country , and the federal agenda that is being discussed at the Copenhagen conference, is of no concern to Somaliland.
What I would ask of the international community is to support the dialogue which has been generously supported by Turkey. We would like these talks to deliver results, and seek the international community’s support to ensure that parties are held accountable to what is agreed at the talks. Somaliland is committed to regional peace and security, and values these talks as a responsible state qithin the global community.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate our commitment to reform, peace, security, and the democratic values that has shaped Somaliland, ensuring that human rights, particularly the rights of women and children are safeguarded. We are holding elections next year. It is Challenging, but I and the government are committed to ensuring that we have successful, free and fair elections.
I would liek to ask the international community to further strengthen our partnership, so that Somaliland realizes its vision of building a country that is peaceful, democratic and prosperous.
I would like to thank the organizing team for the tremendous effort they have made.
Finally, I wish you every success for this first annual report on the Somaliland special Arrangement.
Thank you
H. E President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo