HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Nicholas Kay, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, today co-hosted the Seventh High-Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) in the Somali capital.

The December HLPF brought together a broad range of Somali stakeholders and 29 international delegations with more than 250 participants. Today’s event was the first HLPF to be attended by all of Somalia’s regional presidents.

The HLPF reviewed overall progress over the past six months against the New Deal Somali Compact and its five Peace- and State-Building Goals. The HLPF represents a critical point at which to review such progress, address the challenges, identify possible gaps, and agree on what must be accomplished ahead of the Ministerial HLPF scheduled to be held in Istanbul in February 2016.

“Today we reviewed Somalia’s substantial progress against the New Deal Compact. We must consider what will make the most significant difference most quickly. Security is of course key, but we must build security and stability in Somalia not just through military action, but by investing in initiatives that will provide jobs, income and meaning to young Somalis. The promise of Somalia is manifested in our young people and we must give them the future they deserve,” said the President.

“The New Deal in Somalia is the most advanced, the most comprehensive of all agreements ever made by the international community and a fragile country,” said SRSG Kay. “The progress is tremendous, the achievements impressive, but the work is not yet done.”

An update was provided on the progress made in determining the 2016 electoral process, following a series of regional consultative forums held across Somalia. A decision that sets out the electoral process, accompanied by an implementation plan, will be presented to the HLPF in Istanbul next February.

Progress in the security sector, including troop integration and improvements made to troop payment and registration, was discussed. The need for agreement on the national security architecture by the time of the Istanbul meeting was agreed.

Financial governance and economic recovery were highlighted, in particular the recent positive findings by the International Monetary Fund regarding Somalia’s economic growth.

The importance of revitalising and rebuilding Somalia’s infrastructure was addressed, as was the critical nature of tangible public service delivery.

An update was provided on the status of the New Deal Compact Review ahead of the HLPF in Istanbul, which will establish the process and principles that will guide identification of the post-2016 aid architecture. Somalia and its partners reaffirmed their commitment of continuing their partnership towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous Somalia beyond 2016.