Hassan Sheikh: Somalia Seeks Continued U.N. Support Under a New Partnership
NEW YORK — Somalia wants the United Nations to remain engaged in the country, but President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says future cooperation must place Somali institutions at the center of aid and development efforts.
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Addressing the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Thursday, the term-ended president said international assistance should reinforce Somalia’s government structures instead of creating parallel systems beyond their control.
“We are not asking the United Nations to leave,” Hassan Sheikh said, urging a partnership built around accountability, strategic planning and measurable results.
He took issue with the management of some international aid programs, saying a substantial share of assistance and development projects is delivered outside Somalia’s national budget and established institutions.
Such arrangements, he said, make it harder for the government to coordinate resources, plan effectively and measure the results of projects. They also hinder efforts to develop stronger and more capable state institutions.
“Much of the aid and development work is implemented through arrangements outside the national budget,” he said, calling for Somalia to assume greater ownership of programs operating within its borders.
Somalia has hosted a U.N. presence for more than three decades and continues to value the support of international partners, Hassan Sheikh said. However, he argued that the relationship must change as Somali institutions gradually assume more responsibility.
His remarks come as Somalia works to strengthen state institutions and take on a larger role in national development and security after years of relying heavily on international assistance.
Hassan Sheikh said international partners should coordinate more closely with Somali authorities so that funding reflects national priorities and projects deliver outcomes that can be measured.
Greater responsibility for national institutions would also improve coordination among government agencies and international partners, he said, while giving officials a clearer view of how resources are being used.
He stressed that Somalia was not seeking to end U.N. involvement, but to establish a partnership in which Somali institutions hold a more prominent position.
The comments form part of a broader government effort to secure greater national ownership of development programs and international assistance as Somalia builds its institutions and seeks to reduce reliance on systems managed outside the country.
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