Mogadishu gears up for HLPF meeting

President of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Somalia will tomorrow co-host the first-ever Ministerial High-Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) to be held in Somalia. The second Ministerial HLPF brings together more than 30 international delegations and over 120 participants from all branches of Somali government, including Parliament and the Interim Regional state Administrations, and the international community. The HLPF will review overall progress against the New Deal Somali Compact, focusing on political and security progress over the past six months. The HLPF represents a critical point at which to review this progress, address the challenges, identify possible gaps, and agree on what must be accomplished by the end of 2015. Taking note of UN Security Council Resolution 2232 (2015) passed earlier today, both the President and the SRSG will stress the importance of supporting peace, reconciliation and political dialogue across Somalia, and the need for delivery of tangible benefits for the Somali people: delivery of public services, establishing the rule of law, eradicating al-Shabaab and ensuring Somalia’s economic recovery. Guiding principles and an action plan outlining the process for reaching a workable agreement on the 2016 electoral process will be presented, along with a timetable for implementing the Guulwade Plan for the Somali National Army and a priority action list for the Heegan Plan, which aims to establish a professional, accountable police force in Somalia.