Jowhar – Representatives of the African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and United Nations are pleased to be visiting Hirshabelle State today, in the second of a series of consultative meetings in Federal Member States.

As 2019 draws to a close, we are reflecting on the progress made this year, and looking ahead to 2020 as a critical year for Somalia. We are here in Hirshabelle to engage with a range of stakeholders, to hear their views on how key national priorities can be achieved in 2020. These include preparations for ‘one-person, one-vote’ elections, finalisation of the Federal Constitution, continued progress towards debt relief, and the fight against Al-Shabaab.

Ahead of this critical year, representatives of some of Somalia’s multilateral partners are engaging with national authorities, Federal Member States, elders and civil society, and we are grateful to Hirshabelle authorities for hosting us today.

These goals of 2020 are achievable with the strong collaboration of all stakeholders; 2020 has the potential to be a historic year for Somalia.  We encourage all Somali leaders, institutions and communities to engage in dialogue to agree a way forward, and to cooperate to realise the priorities for the year ahead.

We look forward to hearing from representatives in Federal Member States as we continue our visits, and we look forward to supporting Somalia to fulfil the national priorities it has committed to in 2020.